The black rose chapter 11
The sisters' blades sparred against each other. The shimmering steel of their swords birthed bursts of sparks each time they touched. Emma made a feint to her left, aiming to face Johana´s back.
Johana only managed to get out of the path of Emma's attack by making a quick dash forward. She turned on her heel and put the handle of her sword at her hip, the point of her sword at Emma's head.
Emma grunted and attacked.
In response, Johana lifted her sword forward. The point of the blade thrusting towards Emma's head. Emma responded by putting her sword against Johana´s. The edges of their blades scrapped against each other. Sparks came from the swords running along each other but the metal screeched in a high pitch. Emma used the force of her movement to push Johana's sword aside and leave her open to attack.
Johana reached forward and snapped her left hand around the wrist of Emma's sword arm. With the sword arm locked, she pulled her own sword back for a strike. The sword swung for Emma's head.
The blade was meet by Emma's arm, the black ceramite of her armor releasing a splash of sparks when the strike hit. The burst made Johana flinch.
Emma turned her arm and grabbed Johana by the wrist.
The sisters stood locked with each other, their arms trembling and slowly moving as they pushed to have one or the other move.
Emma felt her left arm slowly moving downwards and her right arm moving towards Johana. She quickly turned her head to confirm it.
Johana saw the opportunity and took it. She pulled her head back and slammed her helm into Emma's. The sudden impact made Emma lose the grip on both Johana's wrist and her sword. Before Emma could have a chance to realize what had happened, she was on the ground with Johana pointing her sword to Emma´s head.
Emma grunted and smirked under her helmet. "You win." She admitted and held out her hand.
"You were good." Johana took the arm by the gauntlet and pulled her up.
"How did you find my repairs?" The crackling voice of the tech-priest asked.
Emma removed her helm before addressing him. She shook her head and let her hair fall down. "The armor is flawless. Every joint feels great and the dents are completely gone." She put the helm under her arm. "But the helm cogitator is still distorting and the vox needs another look."
"It will be done sister." The tech priest gave her a shallow nod.
"Make sure it works this time." Emma pushed the helmet into his jointed arms.
The sisters and the tech-priest parted ways after that. The tech-priest took the helmet in his arms and wondered of to his tent while the sisters left.
"Doesn't it feel good?" Johana asked.
"What?"
"Being back in your armor. Doesn´t it feel good knowing that we will fight our next battle clad in the great armor made in the Emperor´s design?"
Emma folded her hand into a fist before letting the fingers fall outwards. "It does." She stared forward. Ignoring other sisters and tech-priests wandering between the tents. "It feels good." She answered and turned to her sister. "Something has been irking me, Johana."
"What is it?"
Emma´s mouth opened but was quickly shut. "It´s something that might be better discussed in private." She took Johana by the wrist. "Follow me."
The sisters left the camp and Emma lead Johana a little bit further away. Once they were out of sight, Emma let go and turned to her sister.
"Why did you lie?" Emma asked.
"About the ogryn?" Johana gaze shifted away from Emma´s eyes.
"Yes. You told some of our sisters that I was the one who slayed the ogryn on my own. Why did you lie about that?" Emma´s brow shifted slightly downwards.
"I…" Johana´s eyes sank. "When the Canoness punished you for helping me… I thought it would be better if the others believed you managed to defeat the ogryn by yourself."
Emma sighed. "I don´t think it helped anyone. You made yourself a liar and I look like weak for disobeying the Emperor´s will."
"But we still fought by the Canoness side." Johana lifted her head. "You and me both fought alongside the standard bearer to take down the sentinel."
"Some of the sisters will forget and forgive, I doubt few of them even know about the ogryn to begin with. But the Canoness won´t." Emma looked at her sister with arms folded across her chest and a slightly tilted head.
"No, she will not." Johana shook her head in agreement. "What do you think we can do redeem ourselves?"
"You should know. You´ve been in the order longer then I have."
"I´ve never had to redeem myself. I´ve never…"
"There isn´t much we can do now." Emma said before Johana could continue. "With the orders we have received, I don´t think the Canoness is in a good mood."
"No. She probably isn´t."
"Better to just wait for the next battle. If we can be a part in the rescue of the Maid, the Canoness may not, but I believe the Emperor will forgive us both." The left corner of Emma´s mouth climbed slightly. "But until then, don´t lie."
Johana closed her eyes. "Lies are the tools of the heretic and traitors alike." She began. "A lie regardless of how small, is a misstep on the path to darkness." She resided an old lecture she had been taught long ago.
Emma took her sister by the shoulders. "Look at me."
Johana opened her eyes and meet the gaze of Emma´s icy blue eyes.
"Say it again." Emma said.
Johana flinched away at first but her eyes swiftly locked in with Emma´s. She repeated the words and Emma let go of her.
Emma took Johana´s hand by the wrist and put on her own shoulder. Her eyes closed and she drew a slow breath. The blue eyes opened again and stared into Johana´s.
"Lies are the tools of the heretic and traitors alike." Emma said. "A lie regardless of how small, is a misstep on the path to darkness."
Johana nodded when Emma finished reciting the lecture.
"So now neither one of us will tell lies, whether they be big or small." Emma said, her face mostly stiff with only a small twitch near the corner of her eye.
"I swear on it." Johana said, smiling.
"So, do I." Emma´s gaze flinched away.
Johana´s hand reached forward, gently grasping around Emma´s wrist. "Let's go back to the camp."
Emma nodded. "Let´s."
Anna´s fingers drummed on the table behind. One of her brows where raised.
"You look weak." Anna said. "Are you?"
The palatine steeped forward, through the flaps of the tent. She pulled back her arm and Anna did the same.
Their palms slammed together, their fingers wrapping around each other hands. Their fists stood trembling between the sisters.
"Weak?" Galatea growled. "You´ve spent too much time carrying a banner into battle. You haven´t used our arms for anything but raising the flag."
The fists started slowly moving to the left of Anna. "I´m a talon of the Hawk. I kill my enemies with my sword. You simply blow them up from afar."
Galatea frowned and her hand managed to steadily climb upwards. "Do you know the weight of a tank shell? Do you know the load of a heavy bolter?"
Anna´s mouth twisted as her arm started trembling, veins on her neck started growing and pressing against her skin.
The fists stood still between Anna and Galatea.
Anna gave in. Her arm fell and her hand came lose.
"Alright." Anna said, chuckling. "You win."
Galatea smiled and gave the standard bearer a light slap on her arm. "It´s been long time, my friend."
"Too long I´d say." Anna looked at her red eye. "Who or what managed to come close enough to remove your eye?"
"A stray shelf." Galatea brushed the edge of the red glass with her fingers. "And a rock that burrowed straight through my helmet into my eye."
"A scar that will make the Emperor proud."
"I think the ones who took my eye might feel differently."
"Were they torn to pieces by hails from your tanks?" Anna asked.
"No." Galatea shook her head. "I ordered my sisters to surround them, making sure they had no way of escaping from the pit they were hiding in. Then I grabbed a flamer and filled their hole with liquid promethium."
"Seems I was wrong." Anna poured two cups of wine. "You´ve done two deeds to make the Emperor proud. You´re making me look weak." She offered one cup to her sister.
Galatea gave a small chuckle and accepted the cup. "It won´t take you long to catch up." She took a sip from the wine.
"When we´ve completed our quest, our past deeds will look minor favors by comparison." Anna took a larger chug.
Galatea nodded. "It will. Once the traitors lie dead at our feet, we will bring the Maiden of Astryoa back to the capital. Hailed as heroes of the Emperor."
"But it will be a divided glory." Anna said with a somber tone.
"If it is decreed by the Inquisitor himself, it must be the will of the Emperor." Galatea said. "We will fight alongside the Imperial guard and our sisters. Together we will enact the will of the Emperor. Together we will stand united."
Anna drew a breath. "The hawk flies alone. It strikes alone. It brings its gain home alone. Only rats and pigeons find strength in numbers. The hawk uses its own strength and its own strength alone."
"The wings, the talons and the tail all fight together. The Hawk is made one by us. With the Imperial guard, we will be one again. Stronger and larger than before."
"Fatter and slower to." Anna scoffed as she left the tent.
