Angel's Lament

Hello and welcome to another Chapter of Angel's Lament. Hopefully, you will find this chapter enjoyable and less of an info dump than last time, sorry again for that, I just thought it best to get it over and done with so we could move a bit forward. This chapter technically picks up right where the last chapter left off its just a more condensed version of it though, hopefully not a chore to read. Please Enjoy the next chapter of Angel's Lament...


Chapter Eight: Angel's Collide

The High King continued telling his story for quite some time going into detail about everything he remembered from so long ago. Most of the details weren't needed and only took up more time. But Antros was at least willing to allow the man his storytelling, after all, Antros was going to be ordering the man around. The least he could do is listen to his full story. The King's memory seemed to become clearer the more he spoke about the past. Eventually, Antros heard about how the Inquisitor who had arrived on Thera had come with a very unique and strange proposition for the High King. The Inquisitor had been given permission by an Inquisitorial Conclave to allow a large family of Jokaero to be Sanctioned Xenos and allowed rudimentary rights within the Imperium. While the Jokaero would work for the Imperium and supply the Imperium with their technical expertise.

After the Conclave, the Inquisitor had been charged with finding an Imperial World that was both solely loyal to the Emperor but open-minded enough to cohabitate and work with Xenos for an indefinite amount of time. The Inquisitor had gone in search of this world that fit his requirements. It took the Inquisitor several years, but eventually, he found a perfect world that could both remain loyal and be willing to work with the Jokaero. The world he found had been Thetra. After the Inquisitor had paid a visit to the world and had a decent grasp on its history and culture he decided to propose his request to Thetra's High King and Queen. Though in truth his request was less him asking as much as it was him ordering Thetra that they would be host to the large Jokaero group.

After the Inquisitor had gotten the approval of his superiors within the conclave he immediately sent for the Jokaero to be shown how to get to Thetra. After that, the Inquisitor had waited slowly informing the King and Queen about the progress of their new guests. Soon enough the Jokaero arrived. The Xenos were quickly ushered into the castle upon their arrival, were a small group of them went to meet with the High King and Queen, to 'talk' with them and the Inquisitor. They quickly began 'speaking' with one another and things seemed to be going swimmingly. The Jokaero had agreed to stay on Thetra and that they would willingly work alongside the royal mechanics and engineseers, and as long as their needs were met the Jokaero were willing to stay as long as House Bellerophon would allow them. They had just been about to finish and come to a final agreement when the eldest sister shrieked and fainted upon first seeing the Jokaero.

This had put a halt on the negotiations as the High King and Queen checked on their children. The Jokaero had actually been strangely understanding about the reaction and had been quite patient in waiting for the King and Queen to be able to speak again. Ultimately the meeting finished with the King shaking the hand of the Jokaero Patriarch sealing their deal to one another. After that, the children were taken to their personal chambers to dress for the celebratory feast to commemorate the agreement with the Xenos. It had been hard for most of the royal children and the houses staff to be even in the same room as the Jokaero but soon enough the feast was underway with all of its invited members arriving. Though most came to see what the Jokaero even were as most had never heard or seen one before. Luckily the Jokaero seemed fine being observed and watched by the human attendees never seeming to think twice about the glares and passive-aggressive comments made toward them. Though the latter could be a result of not all of the Xenos fully understanding Gothic in its varied forms.

Eventually, the party-goers became used to the large Xenos in their midst and soon the crowd lost a bit of interest in them. That was until a younger Jokaero somehow found, or was given, a laspistol. This immediately caused an uproar in the crowd as some of the more zealous attendees attempted to use this as a reason to kill the Jokaero. The crowd was quickly silenced by the yells of the High King as he called for silence and order. Funny enough, the Jokaero remained calmest among the crowd, never seeming phased by the accusations being thrown against them. When some form of peace among the human members the King spoke about how he had willingly given the gun to the Jokaero, wishing to see a demonstration of the Xenos technical aptitude.

After the King revealed this the crowd began to return to some form of normalcy. All the while the Jokaero simply walked around unphased as always, from time to time observing an attendee or object that caught their interest. Once the King had calmed the crowd he returned to look at the young Xenos he had spoken for. The child had finished with his 'refitting' of the Laspsitol and promptly handed it back to the King. Where there had once been a blocky and utilitarian design there were now sleek corners and soft edges. The High King also found later that the pistol's power pack had been made more efficient and able to fire an extra ten shot than he had been able to before. To put it simply the King had been astonished upon seeing the work the Jokaero had done in such a short time.

The current High King finished talking about the party and the past, all at once returning to the moment, leaving his old memories behind as he finished his tale for now.

Antros decided to ask a few more questions before he let the High King off the hook. "What became of the Jokaero who lived with you, did they leave when the Orks arrived to attack Thetra?"

The High King spoke clearly back to Antros his voice carrying a defensive tone to it, as though he wished to defend the actions of the Xenos. "No, Commander. I am glad to report that they did not abandon us when the Orks arrived. In fact, they played a pivotal role in the defense of Thetra. Because of their efforts, we were able to save far more people and animals from Thetra before we could hold out any longer. As well as they even assisted several times in the fighting. Pressing forward with my soldiers and even saving quite a few of them from deaths clutches. They are also still with us though you will find nothing listed on them in the Manifest we gave you. This was because we wished to keep the existence of the Jokaero a secret for as long as possible, for fear of how you would take the information."

Antros nodded, as he understood their caution to reveal the Xenos, as he would have done the same if he had been in their situation. Antros quickly spoke, making sure to keep his voice as peaceful and kind as he could make it. "I understand your fears. But know I shall not punish you or the Jokaero you harbor, as you have committed no real crime as your family was simply honoring an oath that you made to the Jokaero. Though I will ask that when you are able, have the Patriarch or Matriarch of the Jokaero come and speak with me in some capacity." Antros wished to get the measure of the Xenos, as he knew very little about the species, other than their basic appearance and technical abilities.

"I believe that can be arranged with their Matriarch, My Commander. And I bet she would have wanted to meet you soon enough regardless of if you had figured out their existence in the fleet." Said the King, a small smile crossing his mouth as he finished.

"Why would she have originally wanted to meet me?" Asked Antros.

"She's always been very curious. As long as I've known her she has never passed up a meeting with someone or something new. So I was guessing originally that she would have been the one to want to meet you rather than the other way around." Said the King his small smirk becoming a full-blown smile after he finished.

"Is that a usual thing for the Jokaero? For them to be so curious?" Asked Antros now interested in what the Xenos might be like, should they turn out to be as civil as he hoped.

"Well from what I've seen of her and her people, yes, most of them are highly curious. Willing to learn and understand as much as they can." Answered the High King retaining his smile.

"Interesting, Well tell her that I wish to see her sometime in the next few weeks after we are better situated and other more pressing matters are taken care of." Said Antros turning back to the rest of the table, who had all been still listening closely to Antros and the King talk. Addressing the whole table Antros began the next part of the briefing. "Now let us continue onto said pressing issues. Such as 'Where do we go from here?' and 'What is our plan of attack against Mankind's enemies?' The plan I propose is this. We conduct more in-depth scans and analysis to find out where we are relative to this galaxy's Earth."

"Then we will journey together to an outlying system under the Citadel's control. Where we will 'acquire' a map of this galaxy and we can go to keep ourselves safe and hidden. So that we can begin to prepare for our war with Mankind's enemies. This is my plan for now though it is subject to change at my prerogative. Is this plan clear enough for now?"

A series of affirmative responses came from the collected commanders and nobles as they took in Antros basic orders. After the plan was spoken of in more detail of what Antros planned to do once they were able to call someplace their 'home' while in this galaxy. Antros then began talking about the requirements he foresaw that they would need to look for in the world that they would set up upon.

The list continued for quite a while of all the needs that should be taken into account when finding the world they'd be inhabiting for the foreseeable future. The world had to have an atmosphere similar in composition to ancient earth with the primary gases in the atmosphere being Oxygen and Nitrogen. Another prerequisite was the magnetic field of the planet, it needed to be at least similar if not the same as Terra during its prime.

The Planet needed to also be able to support life. Though whether the world already did support a large amount of fauna and flora wasn't entirely relevant. Though the world already possessing an ecosystem of life would be helpful and useful it was not necessarily a requirement for colonization. But if the world did already support a significant ecosystem it would need to be in some ways similar to Terra's old ecosystems, meaning some of the creatures and plants had to be able to be consumed by the Armada's inhabitants. Most importantly was the soil had to be able to support the crops that came from Thetra. Meaning the soil had to be rife for sustainable agriculture.

It was also not a necessity that the planet have a moon of any significant size. Though that could help the Armada, in the long run, it was not a major prerequisite. If the world did have a moon comparable in size to Luna they could possibly set up a secondary base, a sensor array, and a relay station upon its surface. Though in truth this was all more of a desire rather than an all-out requirement. But something that was not simply a want, but a need was that the solar system be out of the direct sight of the Citadel and its minions, though it had to be close enough to their space so that the Task Force could rapidly respond to abruptly encroaching threats.

Then the final requirement the planet would need to possess was a mass similar enough to Thetra so that the crops would be better able to acclimate to the new environment. Though that raised the important detail of the world's less thought of pests, it's Microorganisms. The fleets Magos would need to conduct extensive tests on the world's species in order to develop inoculations and vaccines to the local bacteria and viruses. These would then need to be distributed throughout the fleet so that the world's viruses would not kill the imperials. This would have to be the first step before permitting non enhanced individuals onto the planet they eventually chose.

Similar tests would need to be conducted to ensure that Therta's crops weren't left vulnerable to sickness and disease. As well as the livestock and other animals would need similar treatments before being allowed onto the alien world. Though some of these concerns could be at least waylaid if the Imperials set up Biodomes on the surface ensuring that no plagues could touch those within. But Antros quickly put the option of Biodomes at the bottom of the list of possible answers. Calling the Biodomes was 'simply a temporary solution, as opposed to a clear workaround'. He cited his reasoning with the simple fact that eventually, the Biodomes would become too small and insufficient after a few years to support the Imperials.

So it was decided that when a suitable world was found the Magos and Apothecaries would be the first to land and that they would take as many samples as possible. They would then formulate the necessary measures to inoculate and vaccinate as many of the mortal crew and refugees. To assist in this endeavor Antros called that the emergency supplies of 'Ploin Juice' be distributed to the majority of the fleet inhabitants. Antros called for this because Ploin Juice itself was rich in vitamins and the necessary nutrients for human immune systems to function properly. Because of this Ploin Juice was commonly carried in large supplies aboard fleets to help the crew keep healthy and so that their immune systems wouldn't deteriorate as a result of the sterile environment most ships operated under.

Antros had to convince several Captains to agree to his plan on using their emergency supplies, but after some debating Antros finally got all of the officers and Captains to agree to his proposition. The plan was that, once the Imperial Armada was only a few days away from the world they would live on the emergency stockpiles would be emptied of the juice and be distributed throughout the fleet to ensure as many people as possible would remain healthy and able to live for a prolonged period on the planet.

After the requirements and plans were completed the rest of the meeting went by quickly. The meeting ended with an oath made by all the leaders within the fleet to protect one another and do what was necessary for the mission ahead of them. Then once that had been done the Arx Libracon quickly emptied, with most of those in attendance leaving to deal with their other duties. Antros himself stayed sitting upon his throne in the Libracon, deep in contemplation about what tasks needed his immediate attention.

Antros was now alone sitting at the table in the center of the room. The only other individual near Antros was Artemis, who was sat underneath Antros's Throne, though her large frame barely fit there in truth. Antros himself was lost in thought his mind racing a mile a minute, calculating what matters needed his direct attention and when. After a while, just as Antros felt like he was about ready to depart from the Libracon and set forth his plans. He was plucked from his thoughts by the sound of ceramite plates clanking against adamantine tiles. Antros instinctively tensed up, his body ready to leap from his Throne.

But Antros quickly sensed the Aura of the room's new occupant, and so he allowed his guard to lower as he stood up from his seat. Antros quickly turned to face his fellow Astartes and Brother as he approached. Antros then walked around his Throne and towards his Brother, Artemis quickly following behind him like a shadow.

Antros indicated to his fellow Marine and said aloud. "Well, I was wondering when I would see you again, Brother Nikolaus. You must have had some very important business for you to have been absent a full day." Antros gave a kind smile after he spoke, one meant to put his Brother at ease.

Nikolaus bowed, showing his respect to Antros before he walked closer to his Brother cutting immediately to why he had come to speak with the Chief Librarian. "You have my apologies, My Lord. But I have something that I must speak to you about."

"Well, it must be quite urgent for you to come to be so blunt, go on then tell me what you found that needs my attention, Brother." Said Antros as he walked closer to Nikolaus who was a good 15 meters away from Antros. Artemis prowled out of Antros shadow as he walked closer to Nikolaus making sure to keep her eyes on all of Nikolaus's movements, mainly out of habit than any true belief he meant Antros harm.

Nikolaus nodded to Antros and immediately told him of the child Psyker he had met and what he had gathered on her through a bit of digging in the ship's archives and what he assumed her abilities to be. After concluding about what he had found out about the Child's possible psychic traits Nikolaus finally told Antros her full name. "Kera Andruil. That is the name of the untrained psychic child."

Antros quickly digested the information and mentally confided in Artemis. 'Well, I expected something far worse than a simple untrained Psyker, an empath at that. I had half expected him to tell me that the Chartist fleet had turned traitor with how serious he made this sound. But I guess this would seem rather urgent to him, so I shall treat this with as much diligence as he seems to believe it warrants.'

Antros felt Artemis's amusement at what he said but she remained quiet so Antros could focus on what to say without her prodding his thoughts. "Well, I'm glad you brought this to my attention, Brother. And I believe this child to be an Empath if what you say is accurate about what has plagued her mind. Can you tell me anything else about her? Does she seem coherent when you spoke to her or was she not always fully there at the moment listening to you?" Said Antros deciding what to do with the child.

"Both times I've seen her she's seemed lucid, and in the moment. Though, she was a bit dazed and scared when I first encountered her." Replied Nikolaus honestly.

'That's good. That means there is still hope to teach her control of her abilities.' Thought Antros to his familiar. "Good. What about her eyes? Was she able to focus on you or did she seem to stare off at random intervals? " Asked Antros again trying to deduce her strength in the Immaterium and her willpower to resist Chaos and other foul entities of the warp in the future.

"She was able to focus on me and was able to even hold up a conversation when she finally came out of her shell. She was very innocent despite the trials she had faced. Her faith in the Emperor was also one of the purest I've found in a child, especially after the horrible events that transpired around her. Especially for a Psyker, she was still very genuine in heart and meaning. She had been taught well by her parents, the mother having seemed to play a key role in keeping Kera away from the darkness."

'Hmm. Good." Said Antros, his hand resting under his chin for a moment as he collected and inferred the information. He then rested his hand to his side and looked back at Nikolaus, The Librarian's eyes sparkling with the touch of the Warp. Once Antros turned his head he spoke, his voice conveying his wish to see more. "Take me to this child now, Brother. I wish to personally assess her abilities and willpower. Then I shall decide what will become of her."

"Of course, My Commander." Responded Nikolaus giving an Astartes salute, slamming his gauntlet into his chestplate above his twin hearts.

The next hour passed quickly with the Astartes and Gyrinx roaming through the corridors slowly making their way to the Medical District of the Sanguine Spirit. They were alone for the majority of the venture only encountering Cleansing Squads and the rare procession of Technicians and their escorts to ensure their safety. At this point most of the mutants that would have popped up from the Daemonic incursions and the earlier boardings were dead, only their bodies needing to be properly disposed of in the ship's incinerators. While what remained would slowly be exterminated in the following few hours or days, their trails easy to follow for the Tempestus Scions and the ships experienced trackers. But as much as the mutants were now depleted they still could murder a large handful of crew should they be caught unprepared, so for this, the hunts continued in earnest attempting to kill the last remnants of the vile creatures aboard the Star-Fort.

Eventually, Antros, Nikolaus and Artemis all stood at the grand entryway of the Medical District. Even through the mnemonic sealed doors, Antros could still detect the chemical smell of antiseptics and the coppery tang of blood. Antros quickly shoved the scents aside moving toward the door's access terminal. The cogitator was covered in glowing runes, the shape of the Gothic alphabet. Antros walked to the terminal and entered the necessary code to allow them entry.

The cogitator responded immediately spurring to life as it awoke from its slumber. The Terminal then began to open the first set of doors. Once the first doors opened the second and third doors followed their massive gates moving along their tracks. The doors were thick, 2 meters in-depth, and made from void forged Adamantium and Ceramite. When the last set of doors opened the group was assailed by a chorus of voices coming from within the Medical Chamber. The voices sounded rushed, while along with the voices was the clank of boots walking on the tiled floor.

The Astartes and Gyrinx quickly marched into the Grand Chamber, which was still filled to the brim with patients and medical personnel. They had made it only a few meters before the crowd of people took notice of them. In an instant, the room fell quiet as most people stopped what they were doing, now staring at the massive Astartes and the large strange cat with them. Antros heard their surface-level thoughts, people startled by his appearance, while others immediately recognized who Antros was. Some recognized him by his armor, others his face, but most simply discerned him by the knowledge that a Gyrinx accompanied the Chief Librarian everywhere.

Antros though simply continued to follow Nikolaus through the Chamber, not paying attention to anyone or thing aside from his current objective. They quickly marched out of the Entrance Chamber and then through the Medical Wing after that. Nikolaus slowed as he entered the next chamber seeming to be searching the rooms crowd for someone in particular. Antros cast this aside, deciding not to peer into his Brother's mind, as he knew that if it was important to their current goal Nikolaus would have told him.

As they entered the Chamber after that Nikolaus sped up his eyes fixed on a closed-door across the room from them. Antros equaled his pace to his Brothers, Artemis doing the same, and they quickly crossed the room and were at the entrance when Nikolaus turned around to face Antros.

Nikolaus's Aura showed with concern and sympathy as he turned to face Antros. Nikolaus then spoke when he faced the Chief Librarian, his voice carried a slight breath of worry. "If you would allow me to go in first Commander. I wish to prepare her as best as possible to meet you and-"

Antros raises his hand to silence Nikolaus, the Chief Librarian giving a small chuckle as he did so. Antros the said, his voice calm and serene, but containing a hint of humor in his tone. "Go, Brother. I can tell you mean only the best. I shall await here until you see fit for me to enter. But do try not to take too long, I still have many other matters that require my attention."

Nikolaus seemed caught a bit off guard by Antros's humor but he quickly recovered, giving a bow and saying 'Thank you' before he quickly disappeared into the room.

It took quite a few minutes for Nikolaus to open the door again to allow Antros and Artemis within the already somewhat cramped room. It was small, but quaint, a single cot lay in the far corner with a makeshift nightstand made from an empty crate resting next to the bed. On the nightstand was a small Hymn book, two figures clearly meant to represent the Emperor and Sanguinius next to it, and a solitary lit candle in the center. The room smelled of sweet foods and incense, the scents mingling and creating a kind atmosphere. On the rooms cot was the Child Antros had come here to see. She was small, only barely a meter in height, her clothes simple and loose-fitting. Kera's face was rounded and childlike, with her features showing the beginning signs of maturity attempting taking hold, but only just. Her expression was both curious, but cautious, her eyes alight with intrigue. Her eyes themselves were a magnificent amber, shining with as if lit with some unseen energy.

Antros had expected to find a child whose aura shown with despair, pain, and disorder. But instead, she glowed with both resolve and fortitude, her spirit showing only the faint signs of recent trauma. Antros scanned the rest of the room before testing the child, ensuring that the room was without other warp entities. Antros still had yet to encounter any truly intelligent or malevolent entities, but ensuring that they were alone and untouchable to those beasts was something he had always been trained to be wary of.

Once Antros had thoroughly scanned the room a third time he relented and let his eyes fall again upon the child. She was staring up at him, her eyes glowing with both curiosity and concern. Antros quickly found a back way into her mind and gave it a quick scan of some recent events, he found nothing that caught his attention, but he resolved to continue with a more in-depth search later after he had gotten a basic understanding of how she behaved. For now, Antros would simply observe, and then question the child.

Nikolaus now sat next to the cot his attention switching between Antros and Kera, Antros could sense his mind racing but looked no further into the Astartes mind. Antros noticed Artemis prowl around his side and into the light of the small room. Kera instantly noticed the very large feline enter the light, though she seemed less startled than she was intrigued, her eyes sparkling with the light of wonder. Antros detected a slight bit of amusement within Artemis as she was scanned by the child, Antros too felt amused as he witnessed the wonder grow on the child's face as she saw the uniqueness of the Gyrinx.

Kera, funnily enough, was the one to break the room's newfound silence, her voice sounding both innocent and inquisitive. "She's a very pretty animal. Can I pet her?" Asked the child readying herself for an answer.

Antros had to hold back a grin at the child's question, finding it one part a precious example of child-ish youth and also finding it evidence that the child still seemed to be relatively normal. But he couldn't show mirth, for now, after all, he still needed to ensure the child was free of daemonic possession or corruption. So as a result of this caution Antros was ready to deny the child interaction with his familiar, both out of wariness and a simple desire to not give the child unfounded hope. Although before he could open his lips to speak he heard Artemis's familiar voice in the back of his mind.

"I see no reason to deny her, Master. You have already peered into her recent thoughts, and we both found nothing out of the ordinary other than her underlining psychic power."

'You and I both now that the Great Enemy are more than capable of covering their tracks, so that is still no true indication if she is still without corruption. I am not willing to risk your life or anyone's life in such a needless manner. As well as it isn't right for us to give her unfounded hope, she still may prove tainted and it would be wrong of us to have to give her mercy after making her believe she was safe.' Replied Antros his psychic voice carrying both his belief in his words and a glimmer of regret that would have been undetectable to all but Artemis.

The Gyrinx's reply was quick and thorough. "She may yet not have to share the same fate as that child on Armaggedon, Master. That was not your fault that they had to die. I know that the memory still claws around in the back of your mind but there was no other way. The original child had long since died, their body only playing as a puppet to the whims of Chaos."

'But I didn't keep the promise I made to the boy's mother. She pleaded with me to save her child... and because of my arrogance and naivety he died, at my hand no less. That poor woman's face once she saw what remained of her baby… That despair… That grief shall haunt me for as long as I draw breath. No, I will not make the same mistake again, Artemis, I will not give this child unfounded hope, nor will I fool Nikolaus. He has clearly made a connection with the child, one that would see an integral piece of him broken and lost forever should she turn out to be corrupted. To give one hope where there is none is a sin, one that I have no intention of repeating.' Antros again was about to open his physical mouth and give his answer when he heard Artemis press his mind again.

Her voice was soothing and kind but firm. "The Primarch would disagree with you Antros, and you know it. Giving others hope is one of the keystones of what makes you a Scion of Sanguinius. He knew that giving mortals hope was one of the reasons you and your brothers were made, to give Humanity a Light. A Hope that even when in the Darkest of Nights, Light can Shine Ever Brighter in defiance of the Darkness. You may feel scarred by that experience but you are still an Astartes, Antros, the Peoples Champion against the Universe's Evils. A soldier made of Adamantine Will and Steely Muscle, given a purpose in saving and inspiring the rest of Mankind with your Strength and Determination. To give this child hope, even a glimmer is not a sin, Master, it is what you were made to do."

Antros was caught off guard by her words, in a way they cut deep, but he needed to hear them and he knew it. He took a moment to recollect himself and do away with his grief at his old memories. After doing so Antros spoke aloud, fighting hard to ensure that his voice carried no hint of his recent mental debate or his grief, instead filling his voice with a bit of mirth and kindness. "I would say yes, but she is very particular in who she allows to touch her. But you are more than welcome to try, Child." He then looked at his Familiar, and said again out loud. "Be nice." He felt her amusement at his order as she made herself look like she was complying with his command.

As Kera got up from the bed and walked over to Gyrinx her face lit up with happiness as Artemis became receptive to her advance. The feline lowering her head to the child and showing the child her flank. Artemis ensured to lift her tail adding to her look of contentment. Kera soon came to her side and began to stroke Artemis's fur, the Child's eyes glowing with cheer as she felt the softness of the hairs.

Kera quickly turned her head to Antros and proclaimed, her voice shining with joy. "She's so soft!"

Antros nodded his head and said. "Yes, her pelt is very fine, and comfortable. She insists on it being washed five times a week, and being brushed twice daily." Antros ensure to fill his voice with enough humor, hoping it would help put the child even more at ease.

After Antros spoke Kera swept her head around to face Nikolaus, where she said, her voice ecstatic with joy. "You should pet her too!"

Nikolaus's face sprouted a large smile as he watched the child, he then spoke his voice kind. "Alright, Little One." After he stood and strolled to Kera's side, where he crouched down to be closer to her height. Nikolaus then let his hand be led by the child where she wished him to pet. He felt the fur and said His mouth again turning into a wide and toothy grin. "You are right, Little One her fur is very soft, much like a fluffy pillow."

Kera's face brightened even further as she asked Antros. "What's her name, if she's got one? And what is she? she no normal kitty, is she?"

Antros forced a grin, hiding his internal struggle against the past, and said. "Her name is Artemis, she is not a normal Feline, she is what is called a Gyrinx, a species of cat-like animals, blessed with abilities."

"Abilities? Like what?" Asked Kera, her eyebrow knitting in confusion and voice showing signs of a peaked curiosity as she looked between the Gyrinx and its owner.

"Her kind is similar to me and you, Child. Given abilities to see into the thoughts and feelings of others. Though in truth she is closer in powers to you, Child."

"What do you mean, Mister Astartes?"

"I mean Child, that she and I, like you, can see, hear, and influence others' feelings, their moods and emotions. And because of this, you hear voices, as I do."

Kera looked at Artemis with a newfound wariness, but also a small part of hope for herself. She spoke a moment later, her voice more serious but still containing a child's curiosity. "You mean you and her sees people like I do? How I see their emotions swirling around them like a cloud? And you also hear the mean voices?"

"Yes, Child. We too see individuals Auras, as they are called, you see it with your Wytch-Sight-"

"I'm notta Filthy Wytch! I don't hurt people!" Yelled the child her voice and Aura shining with anger at Antros's words. Her face contorting into something akin to a snarl.

Antros again feined a smile, and spoke again to the child, ensuring to keep his voice controlled and even. "I am not calling you a Wytch, Child. I am only telling you what the ability is called, it in truth has nothing really to do with Wytchs as all of us with such abilities see Auras. It is simply what normal people call our ability to see the souls of others and the feeling contained within."

Kera's face became remorseful as Antros finished and she quickly said. "I'm sorry, Mister. I just thought you was calling me a monster, like those Wytches."

Antros now let the smile fall and said his voice containing a bit of the seriousness he felt. "I understand, Child. It is not your fault, I should have explained it better to you, and so for that, I am sorry. You are not a Wytch, and if I have anything to do with it you never will become one."

"What do you mean, Mister?" Asked Kera her face again turning curious.

"I wish to help you learn to control your powers, so that you can help others, not hurt them like a Wytch."

"But… what about the voices I hear?"

"I will teach you to ignore them, and if I can help it I will teach you how to make them afraid of you."

"What do you mean make them afraid? How would I scare such mean things?" Asked Kera her voice cracking a bit at the prospect.

"I will show you. They will become afraid of what you can do, and make them learn that You have the power to beat them at their own game." Said Antros his voice still containing his seriousness.

"What do I gotta do to make them go away though."

"I wish I could say that they will go away, but that would not be the full truth, Child. They will never fully go away, only wax and wain with time. That is the curse you and I share, for our abilities, we are marked to the monsters, they see us as food for them. So because of this, they will always try to get us to do what they want."

"Why was I born this way? What did I do for them to be so mean?" Asked the Child her voice containing no small part of sadness and despair now.

"That is the cruelty of it, Child, you did nothing for the monsters to want you, nothing but be born with powers you had no control in being given in the first place. But with my help, I hope to give you the discipline and focus to beat them."

"What do we do?" Asked Kera her voice sounding a bit defeated.

"We prepare you for training. We train then after that, we hope it is enough for you to stop them when you can." Kera hung her head, her Aura now shining with despair and anxiety. Antros quickly moved to try and reassure her of her fate. "But all is not lost, Child. You have found yourself in a perfect mix of hope for you." Kera raised her head her eyes showing a bit of the glimmer of hope and curiosity. "We find ourselves in a Galaxy that seems to not have such entities, or at least so few that they are easily avoided."

Kera seemed hopefull a moment before a shroud of worry covered her face, then a moment later she said something that made Antros himself very worried. "But I have already heard a voice recently. It was mean old ancient voice."

Nikolaus who had been attempting to comfort the Child looked Antros in the eyes concern showing in his silver eyes. Antros quickly asked Kera. "What did the voice want?"

Kera looked Antros in the eye and said only a few words. "It wanted everything."


Thank you for reading and please tell me what you all think of this Chapter by leaving a review, it really helps me know how I can improve and what I can do better, and what you guys might find interesting. It helps me get Ideas on what could and could happen, because as much as I have a plan for what I want to have happen I can always use the help in interesting side stories and other such things. Now please have a great rest of your day or night, and I hope to see you next time!