Umbram Ignis Chapter 22
The Governor's Palace was a place of buzzing activity and constant intrigue, lowly servants and important potentates going about their business with typical haste. People were milling everywhere as they dashed to and fro with urgent reports or occasionally pausing to hand documents over to nondescript individuals who took them with furtive eyes before ducking out of sight. In that sort of environment it should have been impossible for even one Space Marine to pass unnoticed, their mere presence drawing eyes and leaving whispers in their wake but today three of them were walking along, only to be completely ignored.
Pacing slowly along the corridors and halls of power was Sergeant Priyar who held his power maul loosely as he walked. With him was Brother Jediah who grasped a Fractal edged short sword and also Shade-Seer Imix who was holding his staff vertically before him in both hands as his face screwed up in concentration. Priyar was finding the experience distinctly odd, he was accustomed to mortals reacting to his awesome bulk with either shocked awe or bowel loosening terror, having them ignore him was a completely new sensation yet this journey was not nearly as bizarre as he had thought it would be. The Sergeant had expected to feel a cold tingle of otherworldly energies over his body, he had expected shimmering glamours and odd colours to envelop them, as the Shade-Seer employed his eldritch arts, but there was nothing to see and to the Space Marines it was just like any ordinary stroll.
The trio walked slowly and evenly for Imix had warned them that his shroud could only work if they could act unremarkable and discretely. Priyar had wondered how in the name of Terra an eight-foot warrior wearing armour more suited to a tank was supposed to pass unnoticed, but it seemed to be working. It was strange to watch actually, the milling crowds would never actually step out of their way but somehow a gap always conveniently opened up before them as the crowd merely chanced to sway out of the way and then close up behind them without comment.
Priyar watched gaggles of clerks abruptly finish their conversations and break up just as they approached. Grand madams in overwrought gowns suddenly pause to admire faded artwork and even those whose eyes landed upon the Astartes found their sight glazing over, leaving them with the odd impression that they had forgotten something important. Priyar tensed as a clerk bustled right at them, grasping a pile of loose parchments to his chest, there was no way he could miss running into the Space Marines and yet one second before the collision he suddenly seemed to come under the impression that he had dropped something and spun about to scour the floor as the Astartes passed onward.
Priyar glanced at Imix, seeing the concentration writ all over his face and knew that the Shade-Seer was reaching out to twist minds and turn thoughts allowing them passage. The strain of channelling the power of the Warp must have been intense for Imix looked like he was in pain and he gripped his staff like it was a terrible weight. Priyar wasn't entirely sure if he trusted the Librarian, after all that had occurred, but he seemed earnest in his desire to make recompense and the Captain had decided to give him an opportunity to prove his intent, it said a lot about Toran that he had been willing to do that.
Priyar had seen many Space Marines worn down by a lifetime of constant war, many veterans would become jaded like Zeax or brutal pugilists like Lorath. Furion had lost his personal ambition and had devoted his energies into mentoring others while Mylos had become cynical to the core. Priyar himself had never harboured ambitions of rising to high command, he had told his squad to focus on being the best the Astartes they could be, but he recognised the latent potential in Captain Toran and he was sure with a few decades of seasoning the young officer would rise to greatness. Yet if there was one thing about their company he was disturbed by it was the band the Captain chose to surround himself with. Furion was a brother to be respected but as for the rest of the command squad, well, Novak was interested in nothing save his bladework and Persion had a savage's disregard for petty rules and protocols. Bylan was too fixated on tagging on behind the Captain, as for Jediah the Sergeant had barely heard two words from him outside of battle and what he had heard did not fill him with confidence.
Priyar looked over at Jediah and saw that the Space Marine was staring at passing dignitaries and servants with a predatory mien. Even under his helm it was obvious that he was planning how best to slide his blade into each body. Priyar opened a private vox link and sub vocalised, "Stay your hand, do nothing to draw attention."
Jediah said, "We should be killing this scum, not sneaking about."
Priyar stated, "We do not know if the loyalty of these people is compromised, they may be faithful or they may be heretics."
Jediah scoffed, "What's the difference?"
Priyar was startled to hear that and stated, "We are the Emperor's finest, we do not slaughter innocents without good cause!"
Jediah snorted, "Open your eyes, everybody is guilty of something and we've slaughtered more than our fair share of innocents. How many die every time we drop Magma-bombs on a planet, how many die every time we carve a path through a city to kill one heretic?"
Priyar rebuked him, "Do you really think so little of our Brother's honour?"
Jediah cocked his head and said, "Our brothers let themselves be distracted by notions of honour and pride. They prefer to think of the Astartes as akin to the mythic heroes of proto-history: Odysseus, Achylles, Herakles or Kig-Artur rather than face the truth. Don't let romantic notions distract you from the fact that the Space Marines were forged by the Emperor to be weapons, engines to drive his conquests. Our purpose is nothing more than to kill anything that threatens Terra's rule."
Priyar had never heard such callousness from a brother, honour and duty were everything to the Astartes and the thought of a Space Marine who fought only to kill was disturbing indeed. He had seen Jediah in battle and knew he did not just enjoy battle, he relished it. Priyar knew there was no way that any warrior could ascend into the ranks of the initiates without first proving their unbreakable loyalty and total commitment to the Chapter but he suspected that there was something off with this brother, perhaps the Captain did not keep him close for familiarity but rather to keep a sharp eye on him.
Priyar lapsed into an uncomfortable silence as they passed milling functionaries and they penetrated deeper into the Palace. The crowds were thinning out now as petty functionaries and civilians gave way to serious men in sombre suits and armed guards. Priyar saw that the journey was taking a toll on Imix, for his face was sweating and his eyes were screwed up in concentration, his pace had a hint of a stagger and his staff looked like it weighed as much as a Rhino transport. Then the three of them found themselves approaching a wide ascending staircase that was guarded by blank helmed soldiers, who stopped and searched everybody before waving them past, yet the guards didn't even blink as the Space marines walked confidently up to them. Unfortunately while Imix's power turned away the guard's eyes and stopped their ears he could not do the same to automated defences and as the Space Marines set foot upon the first step an Auspex servitor started wailing loudly,
Priyar almost raised his weapon but paused when he heard Imix groan and draw ever deeper upon the Warp, letting its otherworldly power flow into his consciousness in a torrent. Priyar saw the guard's eyes glaze over for second as the Shade-Seer reached into their minds and then a soldier cursed loudly before thwacking the Servitor hard with his open hand as he muttered about endless glitches and gremlins. The Space Marines walked on as the guards waved an engineseer over, only to break out into an argument when the lay tech-adept insisted there was nothing wrong with the servitor.
The trio ascended to a higher floor which must have been reserved for the most influential dignitaries, for the milling clerks and hangers-on were absent here, in fact the corridors were practically empty. Priyar expected Imix to straighten up but if anything he seemed wearier than ever, practically hunching over as much as his armour would allow and his arms shook with effort as he gripped his staff. Priyar reached out to aid him but withdrew his hand when Imix shook his head a micro fraction. The Sergeant realised that while the crowds were absent the pict-thieves and concealed auspexes would not be, the Shade-Seer must be casting his mind out further than ever to remain undetected. Priyar gulped as he grasped the scope of Imix's power, he had assumed the Shade-Seer was struggling to twist minds within eye-shot, but in truth he was spreading his efforts to guards sitting leagues distant. The idea of what would happen if the Smoke Jaguar turned that fearsome might upon the Storm Heralds did not bear thinking about.
There was nothing to be done save hurry onward and the trio quickened their pace as they at last found themselves in familiar chambers. These were the outer ante-chambers of the Governor's court and it was not far to their goal. Priyar was growing concerned for they still had to find the information they sought and withdraw undetected. Imix looked spent just getting them in here and the Sergeant doubted he had strength left to escort them out again, he suspected that they would have to fight their way out soon. He was proved both utterly right and dead wrong when their genhanced hearing suddenly heard the sounds of fighting from ahead, Jediah and Priyar glanced at each other and without needed to speak broke out into a quick trot as Imix lagged behind gasping for air.
The trio sped through the ante-chamber where they had previously waited and dashed into the court room to find a most unexpected surprise, the scene of a battle. In a huddled knot a handful of guards were desperately trying to defend themselves and their charge, the Governor himself who had collapsed into an ungainly heap with a large serrated dagger sticking out of his belly as his lifeblood poured out. Confronting them were a half dozen lithe figures in patchy armour, that revealed bare flesh. They were leaping over the guard's clumsy blows and laughing merrily as they slashed and tore at human flesh, it was the Eldar Wyches and they were effortlessly slaughtering the guards.
In heartbeat the Wyches danced past the guard's ham-fisted efforts to fight back and cut them down with delicate blows that would have looked gentle had they not left men bleeding out on the cold floor. Priyar felt his righteous ire flare as the last guard fell and he activated his power maul in a blaze of lightning. The noise attracted the Wyches attention and as one they spun about and sprinted towards the newcomers. The Sergeant saw that the three of them were outnumbered and about to enter a fight with beings who were as trained and deadly as they were. Priyar knew they would need an overwhelming advantage to win this fight and he shouted "Imix we need your aid, unleash your power!" but only silence came back.
The Sergeant spared one single second to glance behind him and was stunned by what he saw: Imix was doubled over gasping for air, clinging to his staff lest he fall down. Priyar was stunned to realise that the Shade-Seer's power was spent, they would have to fight the Eldar the old-fashioned way.