The immediate aftermath of the Battle of Phlegethon, in which the Sorority of Violence recuperates and Inquisitor Backett plans his next move.
Chapter Eleven: Gains and Losses
The Sisters of the Sorority of Violence who had participated in what would be known to Fusmouth residents as the Battle of Phlegethon entered the square that morning approximately 750 strong. Including the forty killed during the fight itself, twenty-nine additional Sisters were caught and killed by the PDF, or, because it was easy to become separated from the others amid the fleeing criminals of Fusmouth, some of the more grievously-wounded Sisters were forced to find a hiding place and bled to death, and a few were even trampled by the stampede.
The number of Fusmouth's gang population the Sorority killed was roughly double that number, and more would have been butchered had the PDF and city law enforcement not intervene as quickly as they had. It took them no less than ten minutes after the fight began, but it would be the talk of the town for months. The local police arrested nearly all of the Fusmouth underworld, excluding those who tried to fight back, and they were promptly shot.
"Well the good news is that crime will definitely plummet after today." The PDF Captain said to Inquisitor Backett.
"Bad news is that our actual targets got away and we have no idea where they're going, Captain." Graic growled, lighting a lho stick. "Tell your men if they find any of them hiding in town to bring one back alive. Who better to know their next move than one of them?"
"Aye, Sir." The Captain gave a quick salute, then transmitted the order through his vox-caster operator.
Artemis had never really felt fear since her initiatory battle. Fighting had become fun, the spray of blood in her face and sounds of her chainsword, her victims' screams, and their bodies being ripped apart gave her incredible thrills. But now here she was, huddling amongst scrap and trash in a dead-end alley. Artemis had lost track of her Sisters in the throngs of criminals as they ran from the PDF, forcing herself to hide and find her way out of Fusmouth once night fell. But that was hours away, increasing her urge to make a break for it instead of waiting.
Just as she was going to, a voice caused her to freeze.
"I think I heard something!"
The way Artemis had hidden herself allowed her to see out into the street, and a group of PDF troopers were looking in her direction. The squad's sergeant muttered something into his com-unit, then barked out, pointing to several of the others,
"You men, go check that out. If it's one of those heretic girls, take her alive. The Inquisitor needs one to find out where the rest are."
Inquisitor? Artemis thought, half in fear and half in delight. Fear because she had once heard from a temporary ally of the Sorority that Inquisitors were a Servant of Chaos's worst nightmare, and delight from the fact that her Sisterhood had caught their attention. Now she had to figure out what to do in face of this new development. Fighting them to give herself an honorable death would be pointless if they had to take her alive, since they wouldn't kill her, and the Sorority viewed suicide as cowardice. Guess I'm being captured.
A few miles north of Fusmouth's city edges was a large, dense forest, known across all of St. Fu as "Rebellion Woods," where the Saint found refuge after The Silencing, his followers visiting him in secret. The Sorority of Violence, coincidentally enough, had considered the usefulness of the forest not long after arriving to the city, and it was where the Sisters who did not fight at Phlegethon reconvened, joined early that afternoon by those who did. As they rested, Bonesaw made quick inspections of the wounded, taking those who could not treat themselves to her improvised field hospital and giving instructions to those who could. Every Sister was taught how to apply first aid along with stitching and cauterization growing up, the latter being the most frequently applied that day. "SWEET BLOOD AND MERCIFUL THUNDER THAT FUCKING HURTS!" Many a Sister shrieked, unless they had something to bite on as a heated knife would sear open wounds shut.
Carnage, Bloodmaw, and Huntress found themselves sitting together by a fire, more out of coincidence than intent. The three of them were relatively unscathed by the battle, no injuries on their persons Bonesaw needed to address seriously.
"I got five." Carnage said proudly as she added five new notches to her arm.
"I can get six on a good day." Spat Bloodmaw.
"Six on a good day, huh? How many did you get today then, smartass?"
"Not a whole lot from what I managed to see. I got four myself, no new teeth though." Huntress answered for Bloodmaw and herself flatly as she mended her scarf, making the High Priestess grin, sneering,
"How many, Bloodmaw?"
"Two," the cynical brunette stated, "but in my defense, the second guy was strangling the life outta me and we had to run not long after I got out."
"Sure, I'll believe that," Carnage's mocking smile widened, "Miss 'I'm a Hypocritical Liar.'"
"Shut up, Milk-Eye."
Everyone in the Sorority knew calling Carnage "Milk-Eye" was the easiest way to anger her, because associating her blind right eye with the sustenance of infants was to effectively call her weak.
Needless to say, Carnage and Bloodmaw nearly rolled into the fire as they fought, with Huntress condescendingly staring at the two. Am I really the only adult around here sometimes? she thought, before returning to her needlework.
Massacre had to have Bonesaw attend to her shoulder wound, already feeling a bit dizzy from blood loss, even with the bandage she applied on her way to camp. The brunette medic carefully probed it, finding the knife had not gone through the other side.
"How funny," she said.
"What?"
"He didn't get through your shoulder, but his knife did leave a little pockmark on the back of your shoulder blade. Actually pretty interesting. You'll be okay, but this is gonna need cauterizing."
The Mistress sighed before putting a rag in her mouth. She already had some burns across her body from previous procedures, so this was nothing new to her. Bonesaw retracted a blade from a fire, the metal glowing with heat.
"Alright, one…two…three."
The next morning…
The sixteen-year-olds who survived their initiation the day before stood fifteen across and seven deep, their mothers standing behind them. Massacre, Carnage, and Cutthroat stood before them, their expressions formal. Next to them was a small fire, three brands shaped into the Mark of Khorne laying in it. A traditional silence filled the area, to accentuate the importance of the event.
The Mistress stepped forward, her voice regal and stately as she spoke,
"Yesterday marked that you one hundred and five girls have earned the rights and privileges to be called both a woman and a Sister of our Sorority. You fought the enemy with utter ferocity and yet displayed incredible valor, a feat Khorne finds especially pleasing. Take that to heart, and hold those who did not survive the trial in them as well. Life is a constant battle, and not all choose when they die, but when they die fighting, they die free. Khorne cares not from where the blood flows, only that it does, and you have been made able to continue that sacred mission until you are summoned to Khorne and the Matriarch's side in the Fortress. You may now receive your Marks."
Walking up three at a time, the initiates had the Mark of Khorne branded to their left shoulders, some crying out, some wincing, others remaining stoic. The new Sisters then returned to their mothers, who cut their daughters' right palms open with their brass daggers. The inducted ran the blood into their hair.
This symbolized her devotion to Khorne and the Sorority, for to spill blood in their names and wear it in her hair, she too must be willing to shed her own.
Once that was done, the new Sisters all raised their bleeding hands. Massacre then asked them all as per the Sorority Oath,
"Do you devote yourself to the Blood God Khorne, Lord of Skulls and Battle?"
"I do." They all answered.
"Do you vow to spill the blood of his enemies in his name and in the name of the Sorority of Violence?"
"I do."
"Do you vow to bring into this life a daughter who will continue the duties you are bestowing upon yourselves now?"
"I do."
"With these vows affirmed, the Mark branded into your flesh, your hair blooded, and your first offerings to the Throne, I bid you to stand now and forevermore as Sisters of the Sorority of Violence, Queens of War, Daughters of Khorne, and Angels of the Blood God."
Not a whole lot of major changes here, but I did make Massacre's induction speech more coherent and the conclusion of the ceremony is a bit different. In the next chapter, we'll go a little more in depth to some of the Sisters, and see what's in store for Artemis as the Inquisitor's prisoner.