Tales of the Amber Vipers Chapter 181
Verina was lost. She knew she wasn't in any locale she had visited previously yet somehow it was familiar. It looked like a forest except all the trees were pitch black. The light was dim yet cast impenetrable shadows, which made the ground slanted. Dead leaves and dry twigs covered everything, but they made no sound when stepped on, muffled like hearing through water. Nothing lived here, nothing moved and yet Verina knew she was being hunted.
She took up her chainsword and bolt pistol, clutching them in her armoured hands as she peered into the dim world of twilight. She felt fear flutter in her heart as a hint of movement blurred in the corner of her eye. She turned her bare head to stare but saw nothing, yet she was certain it had been there. Muttering a prayer to her Emperess she stalked in that direction, eyes scouring the darkness for movement.
Verina's arm was steady and her aim keen, but her heart trembled. She had been away from the light of the Emperess for too long, her soul ached with the absence of her living god, a constant need that thrummed in her bones. How she wished she knew what was happening on Lutum but she forced those thoughts aside, she was being hunted and needed all her wits about her. A single slip could end her.
She reached a black tree and pressed her bulk against it, waiting for the slightest hint of motion. She saw nothing but her ears heard a faint rustle from behind another tree, and knew someone was trying to hide behind it. Verina's palms sweated but she kept her grip tight as she crept silently over to it, preparing for the first strike. She tensed as she came about the tree, then lunged, leading with her chainsword in a vicious thrust. To her surprise she hit only air and overbalanced, stumbling forward as the weight of her blade pulled her off-centre. And that was when a heavy weight slammed into her back.
Verina cursed her stupidity as she sprawled in the dirt, to be taken in by so elementary a trick. She rolled over to confront her attacker but froze when she saw what awaited her. Standing over her was a Sister of Battle, with armour identical to her own. She bore similar weapons but hers were emblazoned with fealty marks to the corpse of Terra, her allegiance made clear for all to see. Yet what froze Verian in shock was the face, a face identical to her own. This enemy was a mirror reflection of herself, her equal and opposite in every way.
"Who are you?" she breathed in horror.
The other lifted a bolt pistol and pointed it at her head as she hissed, "I am Verina and you are in my place."
Verina screamed as she shot bolt upright in bed, arms and legs flailing. Heavy rugs entangled her limbs and she fought to free herself as her heart hammered in her chest. Panic and alarm rang in her soul, but then a sense of relief swept over her. She wasn't in some forest, she was in her own bed. A nightmare, that's all it had been, another nightmare. She was safe here, nothing could harm her.
"Whazzzat?" A muffled voice came from under the pillow. That was Dylun, the crusader laying naked in her bed. Her comrade and lover, as adroit in bedplay as he was at swinging a mace, but also a heavy sleeper. Verina was glad of it, she didn't want him knowing about her dreams. She slipped out of bed and pulled on a shawl as she muttered, "Nothing, go back to sleep."
His head sank back down and his snores resumed soon after. Verina shook her head in exasperation, service to the Emperess brought many boons, not least among them freedom from the stifling discipline of the Adepta Sororitas. She had enjoyed the sensations available to her and the rewards her lofty rank granted. Wines, smokes, art and lovers and a god who smiled upon her human needs with understanding instead of scorn. Life was indeed better this way, but that didn't mean she could ignore her practice drills.
Verina paced across her quarters, once a stateroom of the Blood Talons, now her palatial abode. There were luxurious rugs and tasteful paintings, statues and drinks cabinets. Treasures donated by the faithful to their Emperess and passed down to her servants. Yet one corner had been left bare and here hung her armour and weapons. Verina took up her chainsword and grunted in effort., Without power armour assistance its weight was heavy indeed and she required two hands to lift it, where in plate she needed only one. She planted her feet and began swinging her blade in the proscribed forms, feeling her muscles pulling with every motion. The workout stretched her body to the limit, forcing her heart to beat faster as she pushed her limbs to move. It felt good to limber up and soon sweat coated her body but she pushed on to the very end.
Finally satisfied she had lost none of her edge she set the blade back and stomped over to her washroom. She grabbed a sponge and ran it under a gold-plated tap, then began rinsing off the sweat. It took a few minutes to cleanse herself, then she filled the basin with water and plunged her face into it. Icy cold invigorated her and she jerked up with relief, staring into the mirror... only to see the other Verina staring back at her.
Verina screamed as she stumbled back and a fierce crash came from the bedroom as Dylun rolled out of bed. A second's glance to see where he was broke eye contact and when she looked back the Other was gone, leaving only her reflection behind. A moment later Dylun barged in, remarkably naked and waving a stub-pistol about as he cried, "What is it?!"
"I.." Verina gasped, "I... nothing."
"Nothing?!" Dylun exclaimed, "You screamed like a banshee!"
"It was a reflex, that''s all."
"Oh great... please do scream me awake every morning why don't you?!"
Verina shook her head and said, "You better get ready, the ritual is in twenty minutes."
"Frakking hell woman, wake me earlier next time!" Dylun hollered as he rushed off to get his armour.
Verina followed suit, stepping over to her armour. A pair of grey-skinned servitors trundled forward on caterpillar tracks and began fitting it to her piece by piece. Reciting ancient litanies all the while they fitted the black undersheath, then the rods and wires of the exoskeleton, ribbed with fibrebundle musculature. Then Ceramite plates were added, building up layers of protection. Finally her pauldrons were fitted and a sacred incense anointed her body, blessing the armour for combat.
Verina stepped forward with a whine of servos and took up her weapons, now eerily light in her grip. She slotted them home just as Dylun stumbled out, tugging at his breastplate as he muttered, "We're going to be late."
"Moryna can start without us, come on."
The pair of them hastened out of the chambers into the ship proper and noise hit them. Bustling machinery, shouting crewmen, chattering servitors and rumbling decks. A vessel with the displacement of Angel's Revenge boasted a crew upwards of fifty thousand and all of them made a racket as they worked. Verina hurried down passages and avenues, seeing defiled statues of long-dead Space Marines and defaced murals on the walls. The upper decks had once been places of beauty and grace, the children of Sangunius as given to art as war, sadly that praise had been directed at a corpse on Terra and a winged mutant, so it had to go. The crew had a new god, a living Emperess to venerate and their devotion was found in deeds not idols.
As they hurried along Dylun muttered, "Have we heard anything?"
"We're drifting at the edge of the ion storm," Verina replied, "We should hear something soon."
"I pray so, I hate this waiting."
"Be still, the bridge will signal if they pick up anything important."
Soon they approached a templum built into the structure of the ship. Beautiful marble walls arose from the metal deckplates, with hollow alcoves of false saints that had been torn down. The double headed eagle still flew proud over the door, but it served a new mistress. The Emperess supplanting the rule of the Emperor in all things. They hastened through the doorway and found a high-vaulted chamber within, laid out as a grand cathedral. The long nave stretched away, lined by two rows of black-robed worshippers, whose voices were lifted in song. At the far end stood Moryna, arms raised high like a conductor of an orchestra. The old hag's liver-spotted arms were bare to the elbow and in one hand she bore a long dagger.
"Oh good, we didn't miss it," Dylun said.
"Shhhh," Verina hissed as she led them off to one side.
Moryna caught a quiet pulse in the music and proclaimed, "Power demands sacrifice!"
"None greater than hers," the crowd sang.
"No greater power is there than blood!" Moryna cried.
"Blood is life!" The crowd sang.
"Who will give their life for her?!" Moryna shrieked.
"We will!" A hundred voices uttered.
As one the crowd drew ritual knives. They grabbed with both hands and then struck hard, driving the points into their sternums. A hundred worshippers gasped as blood flowed over their hands, the self-inflicted wounds cutting deep. Legs gave way and they collapsed, falling to their knees as their hearts slowed and finally stopped. A hundred souls sacrificed for the Emperess; a hundred lives given to feed her hunger.
"That gets me every time," Dylun chuckled.
"Impudent wretch!" Moryna snapped as she stepped over a cooling corpse, "This is a solemn occasion."
Verina noted the way blood clung to the hem of her robe but asked, "Did the ritual succeed?"
Moryna nodded eagerly, "I felt the connection, the Emperess received our tribute, she grows stronger every day."
"Can you hear her reply?"
"No," Moryna sighed, "She is muted… something interferes."
"I don't like the sound of that," Verina muttered.
"Maybe if I increase the size of the sacrifice…" Moryna suggested.
"No, we can't spare more."
"But the Terran Emperor eats a thousand a day! We must match such a feat if our Emperess is to take over the Imperium."
"I need some hands left to run the ship," Verina snapped, "We will have to make do with more conventional methods."
Moryna lowered her eyes and said, "I wish she was here… being so far away from her is painful."
Verina was interested by that remark and thought of her dreams. Could they simply be the result of the prolonged absence from the Emperess' presence, yes it had to be that. Relief passed over her as she saw she was not alone in her suffering and she said, "The galaxy is falling into darkness and chaos, the old Emperor has failed, his Imperium failed. But we rejoice in knowing a new light has dawned. The Emperess is all her forbear was, all he should have been. She will lead mankind to a new golden age and throw back Chaos once and for all."
Heads nodded but then Verona's vox squawked, "My lady, urgent news!"
Excitement thrilled through Verina and she called, "Report!"
The vox replied, "Terrible news, intercepted signals reveal Lutum fell to the invaders, the planet is lost! Worse the Emperess has been taken captive, she is a prisoner of the Imperium!"
"A prisoner?!" Dylun gasped, "No, it's not possible."
Moryna agreed, "Surely this must be part of her plan."
But Verina spat, "No, this was not meant to be. We must act. Bridge, signal the fleet to make ready for action."
"What are you going to do?" Dylun started.
Verina spat, "They have taken our light but we shall not let them extinguish it. I shall take the Revenge and break them over our knee. Come my friends, we are going to get our Emperess back!"