What waits in The dark

Prologue

It had been hours.

Days even.

Yet they kept coming.

Some all at once, others trickled like rain.

Rain. It had been pouring for some time now. Perhaps it has always been raining and I did not notice.

A flash once in a while. Lightning. Roar. Thunder.

Loud. Like the blast of a bolter or the growl of a chainsword.

Alone. Why would they not leave me alone. It was all lost, what reason did they have to fight but to only die. Still no matter their losses they came. So I killed them.

Slaughtered them, just as they wished, it must be odd to think like that. To willingly run to your butcher so eagerly. Perhaps I was too far within my own thoughts? No surely there was something wrong. Why do I care? I don't. I forgot again. Treating animals as humans was my mistake.

Since word of the Primarch's death I could not shake this sensation. All consuming, like the dark around a flickering light. The others left me here since I refused to leave, what would be the point, there was nothing to return to. I could not mourn him as his corpse lay beyond the sea of stars but a shrine to his memory was within my capabilities. Their own meagre weapons did little to harm me even as I did allow the first strike to be theirs yet even then my assault upon them was furious, unrelenting in brutality.

When they relented I had time to build my monument. It was easy to build the pile, carve the stakes, pierce flesh. It was when they came once more that I knew my monument had done the Primarch some justice. I could do nothing but smile as the colour drained from their flesh, the scents of fear permeating the air and then did they begin to understand that I was here to stay. More permanent than the stone of their frail temples for I was here to stay. Should they wish to come forward and become apart of my mourning then so be it, that was a choice all their own. However the sight before them must have finally made their little brains click, it was amusing that it took this much, as I sat upon a mound of their dead. My designs of impaled bodies, heads and sculptures of warning paled in comparison to the beauty I had made of their bones, flesh and sinew. I wished to waste nothing of the mongrels who ran to their death so each one was bled across my armour, so thick that even the storms could no longer truly wash the congealed gore.

Tossing a skinned head towards them I struggled to not snicker at their recoil. "Come forward if you wish to be judged".

Hoarse, dry, crackled yet any voice was intimidating through a vox grill. They nodded in understanding, threw their weapons down, and left. Some time later they returned dragging on of their own, time had escaped me again, intrigued I watched their display as they threw the wretch to the base of the corpse mound. Already it began to heave and cry. Though I heard noises come from the one to push him. Words, that is what they were, it really had been that long since the other legionaries left. Since I had spoken?

"Spirit forgive us, we believed you a dark geist, if you seek to punish the guilty take this offering of an evil soul".

Rising from my seat of necrosis I was humoured once more to see them recoil in fear. Even unarmed they had come to fear me. Good.

"This man has murdered many, young and old, then taken things sacred that cannot be returned". The elder man choked as he spoke. "He forced himself on our women...Our ch-" He stopped and began to weep, his fellows stood by with heated glares aimed at the guilty.

Fruitlessly the beast tried to scurry away, it squealed and cried pathetically. No matter how quick it was I would always be faster. I would catch it always, without doubt, without remorse. No one felt pity for the swine and neither should they. Suffering would be a suitable punishment. To make it feel agony twinned with violation. To make this one a part of my great work would insult the man it honoured so instead I threw the maggot to the ground, witnessed it's writhing for a few moments, before I decided this would be better if I crushed the ankles it used to walk. Even still it tried to crawl away and beg the men for help, curious why this cattle thought the humans would help it when they brought it here to be slaughtered.

"Do you want to witness the punishment? You are not compelled to stay".

A few of the men spat on the guilty before walking away, some watched with morbid curiosity, yet those who had been wronged, and I could tell which, watched undaunted with eyes dark and set. More left before I had brought the punishment halfway and by the end of it only the one who spoke to me remained. This animal's recompense was one of suffering after all and of breaking down their pride, taking from them something that could not be recovered even if they were to live. To scar them mind, body and soul for all to see yet also for only them to know in their darkest, loneliest moments. Peeling flesh was difficult with broken knife as was tapering wooden stakes with it but what came to be most difficult was the removal of it's most offending organ. Once that was done it was also a matter of making sure that I could make the right incision and plunge the blade deep enough before the guilty dreg died of shock. Thankfully it was only as the last tapered stake was driven in that his last breath was taken.

"Th-Thank you spirit, we will not offend you further. Only the guilty will be brought here to meet your fury". Although he seemed on the verge of vomiting he still stood firm. "Please do not bring your anger upon our homes".

Whilst stringing up the guilty pig I thought about what this man was saying. Perhaps I could still do something to honour my Primarch...Was this fate? Could it be that he was guiding me? Perhaps he meant it like this, to finally test the loyalty of his sons. Finally I cut across the subject that sadly died too early making sure it was disembowelled, one final message to those who would dare to witness this place and still think of crossing the sacred line between law and chaos.

Turning to face the mortal before me I paced along the line of discarded weapons, blood spatters trailing where I had dragged the now displayed criminal. "Good. Then here I will be, always, waiting for your guilty. Though if I should deem it necessary I will haunt your people should I see them spiralling into depravity. In the night I will come and if I see anything that would displease me...Then I will take not only those you bring me but any that I deem guilty. Is that understood?"

Wordlessly the man bowed before leaving my sacred place. Finally I had a chance to redeem myself to show that our Primarch was just. Pulling my helmet off I threw it to the slick ground and enjoyed the rain pouring over my skin, there was nothing more beautiful than a storm at its high. My lips were pulling, ah yes, this was a smile. "Father, Konrad, we will show them that you were right!"

Many years after...

When night fell on a new moon you stayed in, that was the law. Be in before sundown otherwise the Haunter might catch you, even if you weren't doing anything wrong you had to be careful. Depending on how many wrong doers the spirit of the night found it could turn into a purge to cleanse us of their wicked taint. Thankfully in all my long years I had never seen the spirit that keeps our people clean and pure. Only those that were sent off to be judged had been seen by my eyes, even then it was only when I was bringing supplies back home from the market. Honestly, I tried to avoid it, knowing that they were going to meet a fate they deserved did not help me when hearing details of their executions. Attending them was a ritual for some while others showed their appreciating for the Haunter by leaving offerings of food, alcohol and idols of devotion. I had never seen the shrine where it resided either, the stories make it sound horrifying and I had little desire to see such things. Though I had carved idols and sent packages of meal offerings in place of my personal visits. So far it seemed to appease the spirit.

"Thina! Come quick there is a ship falling from the sky!"

My brother, Loran, bursting through my door startled me more than anything. But what he suggested scared me more. "But what of the Haunter? You know the law!"

He held an admiration for the spirit that I could not understand and his emerald eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Words from the spirit! We go this night beside him, the first time in our people's history! Come Thina this something that may not happen again, be a part of history".

I grabbed a leather cord from the counter before tying my blonde hair high and tight. "Just this once, fine then, lets go".

In the skies above...

Two warriors of the same race clashed in a flurry of blades, sparking and shrieking each time they met. Each were bloody and worn from their conflict after each meeting they came away more worse for wear, accumulating more wounds as they proceeded, though each knew their stamina was slowly coming to their limits.

"Just let me kill you, it will be quick I promise". One of the combatants in dark imposing armour, wielding a large cleaver-like blade, pleaded in a mocking tone.

A venomous snicker was spat in retort. This warrior wore armour white like bone while their helmet spouted a flowing orange mane."I am sure that would please you though I will savour sending you to She Who Thirsts more!"

Both managed to keep their balance even as the craft they battled in hurtled through the atmosphere, holes in the hull throwing gust of air that launched some of the bodies about the space the fought in. Each of the leapt, span and made great bounding manoeuvrers as they fought both each other and gravity. Yet with a maddening twist of the body mid clash the dark-clad warrior brought a mighty kick into the exposed side of their foe, who howled in primal fury and pain. The force resounded with a crack as armour gave way to pressure as did the screaming warrior as they were sucked out of the hole they were throw towards by the sheer force of the vacuum.

Nothing but the feint echo of manic laughter could be heard by the falling warrior as they felt the one thing all warriors dreaded. All of their efforts, strength expended past all rights it had to be, amounting to nothing only to then see your enemy satisfied with what they had wrought upon you. Still her hands refused to let loose the weapon they held, holding onto the hope that this fight was not done...That shame was not their final fate.

With what little strength she had this howling warrior turned to view the world she flew towards at rapidly increasing speeds. A melancholy smile pulled at her hidden lips. Of all the things to see in your last moments within this bleak universe this was by far the kindest end she could of asked for.

The faintest sliver of moonlight left rippling trails across a vast ocean across the vast horizon while countless stars adorned the void above in the most dazzling way. Barely any clouds or industry marred this sight, perhaps kindness could be found in the universe even through such twisted means, she just wished deep within herself that it wasn't her dying breath that saw this place but that would be asking too much. A sigh softer than any opulent fabric was released as a blissful end was accepted.

If a thunderous roar did not pierce the silence. Before she had time to find the source of the noise her limp falling body was bound and pressed tight against something, a thing she could not see, though at this point her body was far too weak to resist while her mind had truly lost it's ability to fight the oncoming darkness that had been encroaching from the corners of her vision. The last image her weary eyes saw was the ghastly visage of skull with a burning gaze that burrowed through her. Then at last her world became black.