"And you will be cast unto them, the final breath of a dying God"
On the edge of the Segmentum Tempestus, upon the Agri-world of Helios, something happened.
Something… beautiful.
Within the Veiled Region of the galaxy, upon expansive fields and open plains within a small home so very cut off from a universe vastly overpopulated;
The gift of life was given once more.
"A boy" was what the midwife called out, cradling the tiny human so very carefully, "it is a boy, my-"
The mother was dead. As the midwife looked up, she knew it to be true. The soft smile on the Lady's face was almost haunting, considering her chest no longer rose and fell, her pale skin seeming far more ghostly than it did before.
Her eyes no longer held focus or direction.
The birth had been difficult.
A labour, something that the powers of the universe fought to withhold.
But the child had arrived, living, breathing and aware.
And as if sensing the lack of its mother, the child began to wail.
Instinctively the midwife began to coo at the child, to help calm it. Slowly, but surely, the boy's powerful screams ceased, his tiny lungs no longer capable of producing noise. His calm blue eyes gazed up at the midwife in absent curiosity, a tiny hand reaching confidently toward her.
"I'm very sorry little one" she spoke softly, careful not to frighten the newborn. A tear began to well up in her eyes, as she followed her words with "your mother loved you"
She did not know why she needed to clarify such a thing, but the words had come to her nonetheless.
"Let's get you cleaned up then, yes?" she asked the child rhetorically, carrying him to another place in the small hive apartment.
As the baby was cleaned and clothed, it glanced to the corner of the room.
It's eyes were drawn to a space illuminated by candle light. A glow that emanated from a shrine dedicated to the God Emperor.
The Master of Mankind.
Patron God to a race under constant threat of extermination.
Humanity was always in danger.
Millions of worlds were besieged and destroyed, with billions dying to the chaos and evil of the universe. Unprotected by an Emperor encased within his Golden Tomb, the human race faced extinction for every moment they existed. The machinations of evil, guiding the means of their destruction.
But the Gods of Chaos were not the only beings to influence the Galaxy.
"There we go" the midwife smiled sweetly, "all cleaned up"
The child blinked up at her, a soft gurgle being the only noise it admitted.
His name was Lucian, and when he was five years old, he felt free.
Alena would let him play on these days. The last days of the week. A collection of three sunrises and sunsets before he went to help in the fields.
When he wasn't at work, Lucian enjoyed the grass that surrounded his home. The tranquil peace was beautifully calming.
Even if the ugly grey city, spitting smoke and fumes on the Horizon, tried its best to ruin his view.
The tree he sat in wasn't tall enough so he could look over the city.
Its wilted curve only managed to let him see just above the roof of his home. While on his favourite branch, perched up at the highest point, his back remained to the city.
Because even though he could barely see over the crested and grey roof, the sight that beheld him was worth it.
Fields of golden wheat and cane, harvested around the year due to the incredibly welcoming climate of Helios.
The fresh air which just barely stunk of the looming city soothed Lucian.
He swung his feet as he enjoyed it all.
He was free.
At Eight years old, Lucian was quick.
His short scythe glided through the canes, perfectly removing the essential material. Around him, many others toiled and worked under the warm sun. It was their duty.
As the cool breeze swept through the endless fields, a voice floated towards Lucian. A familiar voice.
"The Emperor couldn't ask for a better or smarter farmhand"
Ostus Barrow. One of the many foreman of the Fields, his observant eye directed towards any slackers and general laziness.
Lucian liked him.
The big bald man and his bushy beard would come around his home occasionally, talk with Alena, even help with his education.
Sometimes he'd stay the night, and take Lucian out to work in the fields on the days.
It was Ostus who taught him about The Emperor. The Master of Mankind.
The Hero of Humanity, who sat upon the Golden throne of Terra, one day to-
"Now now Lucian, there's to be no daydreaming" Ostus's large figure stomped by him, eyeing the length of his harvest. The large man briefly checked a data slate he carried with him.
Lucian could hear the whirr of his personal servitor as it documented the gathering of the crop.
"The Tithe is soon, and we shall not be a grain short" Ostus remarked, walking off down through the rows of the golden fields.
The Imperial Tithe. It was the payment of Lucian's homeworld, Helios, to the Imperium. As Ostus had told him, "the guards gotta eat".
Lucian liked to think he was doing his part. By serving in these Fields, he was indirectly assisting with the thousands of wars and campaigns being raged across the universe.
Alena and Ostus had taught him about the Universe, about how it was a cruel and unforgiving place.
Only the brave men and women of the Imperial Guard could keep them safe from these threats.
Xenos.
Aliens.
Inhuman monsters that wanted nothing more than to kill all of Mankind.
Lucian resumed cutting.
He didn't want mankind to die… he didn't want Ostus to die, or Alena… or anyone of the people who worked the fields.
"Guards gotta eat" he muttered to himself, speeding up in his work. The scythe swished back and forth.
Anyway, Dessidus was supposed to be visiting today.
Lucian grinned.
Just thinking of the delicious meal Dessidus would bring sounded amazing. He'd work up a sweat, and gorge himself just before bed.
A perfect day.
...young Lucian was unaware of the eyes that watched him. They were unfocused and dull, with a sheen one could compare to a dead man…
This worker eventually returned to his task, but if one were to pay attention, they'd see him take subtle glances toward the young boy.
By the time anyone noticed the man's unnatural attention, or the quiet whispering of words beneath his breath… it would be too late.
"Lucian!" The call was soft, but carried through the small structure.
At Twelve years old, Young Lucian was beginning to shape into the man he would be.
A laborer of the fields surely, to eventually take over Ostus's role of Foreman when the man became too old. And even though Lucian was young, many that worked this far away from the city could see the truth before their own eyes.
The boy was growing up well, and as long as he stayed on this path, his future would be calm and peaceful.
Lithe and strong, Alena could only imagine he was beginning to take up some aspects of his Father. His kind smile was his Mother's.
That same smile came bounding in through the front door, and shot into the living room which Alena sat in with Dessidus.
"Yes Mother? Afternoon Dessidus!" he blurted, his chest heaving only slightly after his mad dash to make it inside.
Such a loyal boy.
The whisper in her mind came from a place she refused to tread in often.
'But he's not your son… is he?'
And the pit of her stomach dropped.
The day had finally come, it seemed. The boy didn't mean to make it harder for her, not at all.
Alena knew she'd have to tell him one day.
...she just didn't believe it would have to be today.
Dessidus took the reins of the conversation for the moment.
"Afternoon Lucian" he took a sip from the cup of tea Alena had prepared for all of them, "perhaps you should take a seat my boy…. Alena has something to tell you"
The midwife composed herself, even as the sparkling eyes of joy shifted into slight confusion. He broke his gaze with her as he sat facing the two adults at the other end of the table.
The small drawing room of the home doubled as the kitchen. This conversation was conducted at a table, a simple one made of wood and slight amounts of steel. It was clattered with plates and objects, incense and candles.
Dessidus was seated at the head of the table, his regular bag of scrolls and parchment down by his feet. His gloves lay next to his cup.
A package was beside the cup and gloves, wrapped in brown parchment, and of no shape Lucian could discern.
Alena sat to his left, her eyes flickering between the wild haired Lucian and the well combed Dessidus.
Eventually, the woman spoke.
"My boy…" Alena began, but swallowed heavily before correcting herself.
"Lucian" she inhaled and exhaled, "Emperor as my witness, I have always loved you, always cared for you. But you are of the age where the truth…. You deserve the truth..."
Lucian blinked.
"Truth? What do you mean?"
Alena blinked, and before she could speak, pinched her eyes shut and looked away.
"Mother?" Lucian asked, worried about this sudden pain she expressed. His word only managed to tug a sob from the now quiet woman.
"Dessidus… please" Alena whispered.
The large man, wrapped in his formal clothing and buttoned attire, sighed. But shifting himself to his full height in his chair, he looked upon young Lucian.
The boy in turn, having heard Alena's plea to the large man, refocused his attention on Dessidus.
Lucian's eyes kept shifting to Alena briefly, a small worry working its way up his spine.
Had he done something wrong?
'What truth?'
Did they find out about him roughhousing with his friends?
'What is the truth?'
Did they know of-
"The truth, Lucian," Dessidus's voice seemed more worn, gruffer, and as serious as the man had ever been before the youth, "is that Alena is not your mother"
It took Lucian a few moments to process the words. Before a feeling akin to a punch sunk him into his seat.
Before he could speak, or even find the words to express his sudden and violent confusion, Dessidus continued.
"You were born to a Noble lady of Helios Lucian. I was her loyal Servant and Attendant. Alena was the Midwife"
Dessidus took a sip of tea.
"Your mother, Lady Welis, died during the birth, Lucian. The effort to bring you into this world took far too heavy a toll on her body"
Lucian's hands twitched.
Alena was…
Alena…
His mother…
His mother was dead.
Alena wasn't…
"My father?" Lucian closed his eyes, "what happened to him?"
Dessidus growled.
"The less that is said about him the better" Dessidus's tone had spite and fury in it, even as he continued to explain it only grew in antagonism.
"After… meeting with your Mother, he never made an appearance, never returned. Even when she grew obviously pregnant, your Father failed to ever reveal himself. I never met the cur"
Dessidus sighed again, his rage abating somewhat.
"Your mother having a child out of wedlock was frowned upon by the nobles of Helios. So much so that she denied ever having slept with a man in the first place… but when you came, she refused to lose you"
Dessidus pushed the wrapped package across the table.
Lucian could only stare at it.
His mouth refused to make words.
Dessidus, wasn't done talking it seemed.
"Your mother was Harriet Welis, first born to the Governor of Helios. And it was her who ordered your protection, long before you were born, and as her loyal servant I have kept you safe" he gestured to the now teary Alena.
Lucian locked eyes with his… not-mother, and felt a pang, deep within his chest. Of what feeling he could not tell, but he didn't like it.
"Alena agreed to raise you, properly and safely away from the hive and the dangers the circumstances of your birth would bring you-
Lucian was out the door before the two of them could blink.
"Boy!" Dessidus called out, but a soft hand kept him in his chair.
"I-its alright" Alena mumbled, relaxing her grip on the larger man's wrist, "if he's not back before sundown… Ostus will know where to find him"
She released her grip on Dessidus, slumping back in her chair as comfortably as she could manage.
The world felt so incredibly heavy upon her shoulders at that moment.
"He'll be alright" Dessidus told her softly.
"I know" Alena smiled, a tear building in her eye, "I only wish the best for him"
Dessidus stood, pushing his chair in and leveling his gaze upon Alena, who did not have the energy to meet the eyes of the Loyal Servant.
"My Lady was right to choose you, Alena Inalique. Lucian will grow to be a fine man one day"
The midwife and de facto mother of Lucian couldn't look at him as he strode away, the door to the home closing softly behind him.
Dessidus would return to the hive city, and his duties to the House of Welis.
Alena left the parcel unopened and untouched. It belonged to Lucian. He would be the only one to open it.
Titos and Vanella looked up at nearly the same moment when Lucian burst from the home.
They also noticed how he ignored the large and powerful shout of "Boy!" as he sprinted towards them.
The two little rascal troublemakers were Lucian's closest friends. Nearly all the people of their farming community knew the two unrelated children as "The Twins".
Not because of physical similarity, but because the two always did things together. Eventually roping in the golden boy, Lucian Inalique, into their daily escapades a year ago.
Titos Erthaq was the son of a farmhand, one that lived only a few fields from where Lucian stayed. He was a short boy, but stocky and powerfully built. A few whiskers of hair protruded from his lip even at the young age of Thirteen. His purple eyes were the same as his Mothers, a woman no longer among the living.
He had the blood of Cadia flowing through his veins, and ignoring his father's wishes, planned to join the Imperial Guard within the next recruitment cycle.
Nearly half a head taller than the future Captain of the Guard, was Vanella Castelius. Her long black hair was permanently fixed in a bun, leaving her brown eyes, and the small scars beneath them, exposed. She was the eldest of the three, at Fourteen, and carried herself with distinction and grace. Her mother was the Foreman of the sector of fields next to Lucian and Titos's very own.
Were it not for the friendship she shared with the two boys, she would have most likely grown to fulfill the same position her Mother did. But now, Vanella planned to join up with Titos. Together they would serve Mankind throughout the stars, save many people, and become Heroes of the Imperium.
Those thoughts were not immediately present. The youngest of their small group shot past the other two, vanishing into the neck high field.
"Lucian!" Vanella called after the boy, even as Titos darted after the fleeing boy.
She cursed to herself before hurrying after them.
The fields were long and still growing. Luckily for the two chasers, they were just able to keep a line of sight on their much faster friend.
They knew where he was going.
Old Man Crannog lived on a relatively small plot of land.
Within his property, he actually had a small part which wasn't owned by the Helios Nobles.
His family owned that space.
The story was, Old Man Crannog's family had fought proudly and valiantly during an invasion of Helios. As the tale goes, the Old Man's ancestors had fought to their last, ensuring the defense of Helios, and the safety of one of the Welis family members.
The damnable Xenos had turned tail and fled, leaving a young boy as the master of the house.
This sacrifice was rewarded with a plot of land, and whatever the survivor- the Old Man's Grandfather- wished to grow there.
The last Crannog at the time, had chosen a tree.
An 'Apple' Tree.
A fruit tree that would last the ages, to provide sustenance and food to not only his family, but his neighbours and community.
The tree became symbolic for many. A small shrine to the emperor was cared for at its base, with many allowed to come by and offer prayers.
Over the years, it had grown in size, towering over the small keep kept by the Crannog.
It's great limbs and branches towered bravely into the sky, the succulent red fruit hanging from all over it.
You could find many workers who would come by and ask the Old Man if he would permit them to rest under the tree's benevolent shade.
In the infinite expanse of the fields, such a novelty as shade was hard to come by.
But the old man would turn most away.
He did, however, have a singular weakness.
The innocent eyes of the youth always burned away his rough exterior. On days of prayer or rest, many children could be found clambering through the tree, laughing, playing beneath its shadow.
Titos and Vanella had lost Lucian in the fields. But they knew where he was. They could see him, as they approached the Crannog home.
From the apex of the tree, nearly twenty meters off the ground, Lucian's jet black hair could be spotted.
The boy wasn't watching them approach, his gaze fixed towards the hive city, far off in the distance.
Titos and Vanella shared a look at one another as they pushed out of the fields. They had been discussing what it could have been which had set their friend off.
Both assumed it was something about Ostus, and how the man so obviously wished to marry Alena.
It was the gossip of their community.
But Lucian liked Ostus… such a harsh objection as running from his own home… it could not be that.
So what was it that bothered him?
"I was wondering if I was going to have to call Ostus"
The youth turned on the sudden voice.
Henriq Crannog was old. He still stood tall and proud, but his wrinkled features gave away his seniority. His hair was frayed and grey. One of his eyes was blind.
He had lived a long time.
Having little time left to live, meant the man was quite devoid of patience, and those that fumbled with words.
The shortest of the three always spoke for their little group, being the most respectful and well educated in the way of words.
"Old Man Crannog" Titos said calmly, nodding at the serious elder, "I'm sorry if Lucian has offended you, we…" a wrinkled hand was raised. Titos snapped his mouth shut.
"Young Lucian seems very troubled"
The old man turned to glance at the still figure atop his tree.
"Not a good sign" he grumbled, before turning on Vanella with a slight smirk, "a broken heart?"
The girl sputtered, but Titos stepped in.
"Sir… we don't know what's distrubed him… just that he left his home in an incredible hurry"
Henriq was quiet, mulling over what the boy had told him.
Vanella and Titos heard his muttered, "he has been told..."
Henriq sighed and shut his eyes.
"Take the time you need children… I believe I know the source of young Lucian's foul mood"
Titos looked hopefully at the old man.
"You must ask him yourself, boy"
Henriq turned and walked away to his fair sized abode, ignoring the slumping of Titos's shoulders.
"So much for the simple solution" the shortest grumbled, "come on Van, we should-"
He blinked in surprise, only then realising that the girl of the group was already making her way to the tree, ready to climb it.
Titos blinked, huffed, then followed.
By the time he had made it to the base, Vanella was already halfway up.
Lucian heard them climbing before he saw them. His eyes didn't waver from where they were locked. The greatest spire of the Hive City, the tallest structure of Helios, and the home of the Governor.
Vanella pulled herself up onto the top branch, carefully placing herself just a few feet away from Lucian. Out of the corner of his slightly unfocused gaze, Lucian saw her head break the surface of the treetop.
"I always thought you hated the city"
Managing to pull himself away from the view, Lucian looked upon his friend.
Her black bun had a few twigs and a leaf or two in it.
A soft smile was on her face, the expression following her calm words.
"I've got… a new perspective" Lucian led with, but stopped at the ruckus which echoed up from beneath.
A few grunts and swears came from below the two of them, and Titos appeared as well, brushing away any small materials attached to his hair.
"Quick bastard" he snapped, getting himself comfortable on his branch. But his words came without any malice, "always gotta show how fast you are, huh?"
Lucian laughed a bit, a dejected smile resting on his face.
A hand reached his shoulder, a palm gently squeezing him.
Titos's eyes looked imploringly into Lucian's, his hand remaining upon his friend's shoulder.
"Whatever it is Lucian, we" he gestured at Vanella, "are here for you"
"What is wrong?" Vanella inquired softly, leaning slightly into the two of them. She caught Lucian's eye, and the boy sighed.
High up in the tree, the furthest any of them had been above the ground, the wind in their hair… Lucian craved that feeling of freedom he felt when he was younger.
The older he got, the larger his responsibilities got… the more confusing this world became.
He started with that, with what confused him.
"Alena is not my mother"
Both of them reacted, one subtly, the other verbally.
"What?!" Titos barked, but simmered down. His instinctual reaction was quelled by the harsh look in Lucian's eye.
"She has raised me. Fed me. Educated me. But she is not my mother… she did not give birth to me..."
Titos's hand gripped harder on Lucian's shoulder, emulating as much comfort as the rougher boy could convey.
"Who did?" was the Erthaq's question.
Lucian's eyes drifted back to the Hive spire.
"A noblewoman" he mumbled, ignoring how his friends reacted.
They all had spent their time talking down the aristocracy of Helios. How none of them worked, or toiled as any of them did. How when the Imperium drafted soldiers, it was not their children which marched under the Emperor's banner.
Such comments were expected between workers and workers' children. There had been more discontent recently then there had been before, but every year that the Tithe grew closer, such reactions were natural.
Many comments had been shared between the three about how lazy and worthless nobles were…
"Why are you…" Vanella struggled to find the words.
"Out here? A worker?" Lucian attempted to finish for her.
The girl nodded, and Lucian sighed.
He looked down from the city, staring into his own lap and the open hands which rested there.
His eyes traced his palms, looking upon the lines and grooves of his skin.
"She died giving birth to me. Apparently I took a 'heavy toll' upon her"
There was venom in his words. Only some, but the vitriol took Vanella aback. Titos was bothered, but only showed it by his expression hardening.
How could there not be? The cold words of Dessidus were only matched by their reality. Lucian knew the man would not lie needlessly, and told him the circumstance of his birth without the details.
Titos's frown must have reached its final straw, and he blurted his question out, "but your Father? He was married to a Noble! He would have come for-"
"He's had more than a few years" Lucian cut in, "but nobody's shown up. Only my mother knew his identity. Dessidus? He was her personal servant"
Titos nodded a bit.
Vanella knew who I spoke of. She must have seen him coming and going from my home.
"That grumpy well dressed man, always bringing those nice snacks when he comes to visit"
"The same," Lucian nodded, "he was checking in on me, seeing if Alena did her job"
"Alena… she also worked for your… mother?" Titos was finding difficulty in his choice of words, obviously trying not to antagonise Lucian in any way.
Titos wouldn't know how to deal with such a revelation, so he could hardly imagine how Lucian was dealing with it.
"She was the midwife. She took responsibility for me after my mother…"
He didn't finish his sentence.
He didn't have to.
The three of them waited like that, beside one another, as the sun began to dip below the horizon.
Titos and Vanella waited with their friend for as long as they could.
Eventually they would need to return home. They had work the following day. The fields would not tend and manage themselves.
As the sun slipped from the sky, and Helios was left in a blanket of darkness and twinkling stars, Lucian remained upon the tree for as long as he could.
The lights of Crannogs home came into existence, bathing a section of his long porch in light.
Lucian's gaze was drawn to the artificial light naturally, as well as the figure there.
He… might be in trouble.
Ostus could see the boy climbing down the tree. Crannog had left a vox message for him an hour after he had left Alena's home.
He'd get the boy home safe.
'Leave it to a man like Dessidus to drop such a weight upon a young lad' he thought to himself, arms crossed as Lucian slunk out from the shadows.
His gloomy face was very unlike the bright and upbeat boy most were used to.
A travesty.
Ostus reminded himself that Dessidus was a callous man. His words would have been blunt, not comforting. A part of the man would probably blame Lucian for his Lady's death. Something that is not the fault of the child, and a tragedy… but a hatred that the man would only know subconsciously.
Ostus sighed.
"Rough day tomorrow. It's best you get some rest Lucian"
The boy, head bent down ever so slightly and his eyes fixed on the dirt, nodded his agreement.
"Yes sir" he said, trodding by Ostus ever so slowly.
Ostus exhaled his second sigh, and quickly stepped up to match the boy's pace. They made it into the narrow lane between fields, following well traveled paths that both of them knew led back to the Inalique homestead.
Lucian's home.
But the boy probably did not think of it as such.
Ostus hardly knew how to handle such a revelation.
"Do you even know what time it is?"
The boy mumbled a negative.
"Would you have come home?"
"Eventually"
Ostus nearly growled his next question.
"Do you know how worried Alena was?"
Lucian looked up to him, cold anger in his eyes.
"Why would she care? I'm not even her-"
In the middle of the field, under the night sky, Lucian received one of the most surprising strikes he would know.
The hit came from Ostus's palm, right across his cheek.
It sent blood and spit from the boy's mouth, snapping his head far to the right, his left cheek stinging.
Tears filled in Lucian's eyes.
A thud in the dirt echoed out as Ostus knelt down, both of his wide hands coming to rest on the boy's shoulders. Lucian was locked in place.
"Look at me child"
The boy, out of a primal feeling of stubbornness, kept his head faced away.
Ostus was quiet for a moment, allowing the child to fight his tears and attempt to ignore him.
But eventually…
"Lucian" Ostus's voice was softer than the boy in question ever thought it could be, "look at me"
With a gargantuan effort, and the stinging of his pride, Lucian turned his head to look at the Foreman of the field.
"Your mother's death was a tragedy, Lucian. Your Father was a coward for never coming forth, and I hope the Emperor smites him down for being so dishonourable"
Lucian sniffled in the space that Ostus gave him to comprehend the words.
The boy's cheek was swelling slightly.
"But Alena loves you, child. She loves you dearly. She did her duty and she continues to this very day, but that does not mean what she feels for you is false or fictitious. She cared for and nurtured you, did her damndest to mold you into a respectable young man. I'd argue that it worked" Ostus smiled at the child, his bearded face emanating as much joy as he could manage.
"Lucian. Know that all of us, each and every single one of us that knows the truth… we are sorry. But that will not change the past. You must continue on, child, no matter how strange or difficult it all seems. Do you understand boy?"
Lucian nodded slowly.
"Good" Ostus nodded as well, standing again to tower over the boy.
"Now let's get you home. I believe Alena made a delicious bowl of soup, that if you won't eat, I certainly will"
The boy scoffed, quietly. He was still hurt, both physically and emotionally, but he was more at peace than he was before.
He did, however, have one more thing to say.
"Why did he never come for me?"
Lucian's voice was so quiet and weak, Ostus nearly missed it.
"I do not know, child" Ostus grumbled, "but maybe one day you'll be able to ask him yourself?"
Lucian said nothing.
The pair returned to the small home in silence. The wind and rustling of the fields being their only companion.
Lucian arrived home to a large hug, one that after a moment he tearfully returned.
A warm bowl of soup and some quiet talk preceded his eventual sleep.
The package on the kitchen table was left untouched.
Dessidus Obrantis entered the room with many regrets. His office was two floors, with many books and novels occupying the second floor. The small staircase which connected both and the railings of the second floor were covered in small pieces of parchment prayers, given daily.
Most of them intoned his regrets. The largest of which were simple for the man.
The death of his lady.
The lack of knowledge regarding her… consort.
His inability to ever return to the good graces of the Honourable House of Welis.
...and the death his Lady's child would suffer. This only partially irked him. The horrible ill created spawn would die, but unfortunately, not by his hand.
He had returned to Helios Central Hive, the package left at Alena's home, and secluded himself in his office.
Like clockwork they appeared.
From the walls and passageways naturally built into an Aide's office, they entered his space. Cloaked and covered, shrouded in darkness. Eventually the room was full of them. They occupied every space, looking down on him from even above. A small semi circle formed around his desk, leaving but a few feet between him and them.
Dessidus controlled the shake in his hand, as the leader, the one that felt… cold, approached him.
He didn't even notice as his chair touched the glass window behind him.
She was… unnatural.
Her eyes gleamed from beneath the hood.
"And?" her voice was sickly yet sweat, a horrible mix of pleasurable to listen to, yet off key and toneless.
Such noises were impossible for a human to make. A normal human, at least.
Dessidus poured himself a glass of liquor as he replied.
"I have done as requested"
The hooded head of the figure shifted sharply to the right.
A singular figure peeled away from the sudden congregation in the office.
"Good Dessidus… good" he failed to repress the shiver as she said his name, "now we can only ask one last thing of you"
Dessidus took a singular swig of the liquid in his cup, hoping to calm his nerves.
"I shall do it"
A soft chuckle, both feminine and masculine in its tone, echoed out from the hood.
"We know you will"
In the next moment, Dessidus Obrantis died, slumping back in his chair as his eyes rolled into his skull.
The cloaked figures left the room as quickly as they had arrived.
Everything was going…
Just.
As.
Planned.
Alena was distraught when the news arrived.
She had seen Dessidus but only a few days prior. And now he was… dead. Lucian had been told the news an hour after Alena had received it.
A natural death, heart attack. He had died in his sleep, comfortably. Something that most men and women of the Imperium could only dream of.
"Horrible thing" Ostus remarked, munching on his breakfast as the other two processed the Vox message.
The man looked between the two of them, deciding that their sombre faces meant he shouldn't be in such a decent mood.
Even if the food was good.
"Was there any mention of a service?" he suggested, trying to at least temper Alena's downward mood.
Dessidus had been a good friend of hers. The final remnant of her old life.
His death obviously hurt her worse than Ostus could imagine.
"There is" Lucian noted, reading into the message itself "it's today, later at night" he declared, looking to Alena.
Ostus coughed, getting the attention of the two others at the kitchen table.
"I have a raw material delivery and pick up to make near the city walls this afternoon" he rolled a bit of food on his plate, "I could excuse Lucian for the day Alena, if the two of you wished to pay your respects?"
Alena looked to Lucian, and the boy just nodded quietly.
"Thank you Ostus. This means a lot to me"
The gruff Foreman waved it away.
"Its no problem. Just promise me my best worker will return bright and early the next day for an extended shift" he winked at Lucian, trying to and successfully getting a smile from the boy, "and I'll call it even"
Alena smiled as well, even if her expression was downcast with a touch of sorrow.
Later that day they would attend the funeral. Alena would have the chance to pray for her friend, as would Lucian.
The service was quiet, small, and efficient.
Lucian did not know a single other person there.
A few cloaked people were also present, but even if he may have known them, Lucian was never able to catch a glimpse of their faces.
The two would then depart, a calm walk to the city walls, and then off into the outer city.
Lucian did not know it yet, but this was the end.
"Blood!" came the call from the shadows.
There had been a sparse number of people in the streets. Beyond the walls of the hive, in the outer rings of the urban city which sprawled across the surface of Helios, a lack of individuals at this hour of the night was to be expected.
But none at all? A whole street seemingly devoid of life?
Preposterous.
Only a civilian would be foolish enough to traverse through a path such as this.
Lucian found himself fleeing for his life, at an age where none should truly have to flee for their lives. Alena, the pure and kind lady which had raised him, lay dead, blood seeping from her body.
They had been walking home in a sombre silence, just a sad day which marked the death of a friend. Besides the funeral, nothing was out of the ordinary for the two.
Neither had seen the killer before he was upon them.
And as the assailant had struck, there was not a soul to be seen in any direction.
Alena had screamed for help as the murderer lunged at her. The boy stood frozen, watching as the blade fell upon Alena, before the adrenalin in his system spurred him into action.
His body decided upon flight, rather than fight.
Lucian had run under an outcropping, a series of pipes which connected one structure to another, hiding beneath it as Alena had fallen.
It would take only a handful of minutes for the Adeptus Arbites to respond to the disturbance, but it would be enough time for the killer to escape after he had slaughtered his prey.
With the lady dealt with, the boy tucked himself further into the small alcove, his fear apparent to the man.
"Come now child" the raspy voice of the ragged man growled at Lucian, "you need not fear it…" the crooked blade in the monster's hand gleamed with blood.
Lucian felt his whole world narrow down. The lady who had raised him, told him stories as he was wracked with fever, held his hand as he was first brought to work in the fields of Helios, was dead.
She lay, still, just behind the figure of the killer.
Her glossy eyes, lifeless and empty gazed up into the sky.
Blood continued to seep from the cut in her neck, staining her grey clothing a horrible black.
The red liquid… it struck him, inciting an emotion he'd never had to deal with before.
Terror.
Fear.
Lucian looked up as the man approached him, his intent clearer than day. This was how it ended? At the hands of a monster?
The man knelt down by the outcropping, holding onto the pipe as he got a good look at the child.
He was dishevelled, with horribly spiked teeth and a rotting eye.
"Fight if you want" the man drew his knife back, ready to thrust it at the boy.
Lucian, drawing on some unknown yet buried instinct, raised his palm toward the man.
"But you will give Blood for-"
The crack of a bolt pistol shattered both the man's words, and his head. Lucian did not close his eyes as the spray of blood hit him. The liquid somehow avoided his eyes, only splattering across his neck and cheek.
His clear vision allowed him to perfectly observe the man's head simply disappearing.
He lowered his hand, never really considering why he had it raised in the first place. As if that would have prevented his would-be murderer from striking him.
But now, Lucian had seen it.
The truth of the world he lived, the brutality of his reality, was revealed to him in a macabre display. Every detail was recorded by his eyes and stored in his mind. The words that Alena had taught him were no longer incoherent.
The nature of his world had been laid bare before him.
"Good shot" Caius Helix nodded to his colleague, lowering his own Bolter as the corpse of the murderer fell.
Himself and his colleague, Lynwood Deculus, had been investigating this habitation section for nearly a year. The series of killings that had been reported all pointed to this sector of the city being the epicenter.
This far out from the Hive Center meant less of an Arbite presence. Cowardly, but effective.
Seems they had finally done the work they had set out to accomplish.
Another small victory for the Imperium.
"I prayed to be the one that caught this monstrosity Caius" Lynwood grumbled, already moving towards the two bodies on the street.
While Caius was the younger of the two, sporting a clean shaven face and only one prosthetic limb, his left foot, Lynwood was the more experienced. His right eye had been one of the first things he'd lost in service to the Imperium and the Emperor.
His legs followed shortly after.
And then a shoulder and spleen.
Lynwood never did explain how he had lost nearly half of his mortal form, besides the explanation of "in the line of duty".
The man's gruff voice matched his grizzled appearance. His bald head had Holy Text inscribed upon it, wards and protections against the machinations of Mankind's many enemies.
Both from out and within.
Caius grinned but fell into step behind his fellow Arbite, his red cloak flourishing at the swift turn of his body.
Caius was a handsome man, something that even a few Nobles of Helios had remarked upon. Many knew him to be one privy to social circles that even Lesser Lords were not welcome in.
His jet black hair was tamed, flowing backwards off of his light armor. His insignia and zeals adorning his form.
As they approached the incident, Caius's sharp features narrowed into a frown. He began to draw his Bolter, noticing the movement to their right.
"Hold" Lynwood grunted.
A second later, a child emerged from the space in the wall.
'By the Emperor's Mercy…' Caius thought, his frown turning to slight sorrow. The lady murdered here… her son had witnessed it.
A soft and quiet voice floated up to them.
"...can… can you help her?"
Before Caius could even think to retort, Lynwood approached the boy.
The movement had been so swift that the startled boy darted back under the outcropping, fear motivating his movements.
"Do not fear us boy" the scary one said.
Lucian opened his eyes, noticing the metal man as he knelt before him, ducking his head to gaze at Lucian.
"I… I don't" Lucian tried to be brave, but the quaver in his voice gave away the slip of fear.
"Come out here then, so we may speak to you"
Tentatively, the boy shuffled out from the alcove. Both of the men were imposing and large, with obvious weapons attached to their persons. The smaller one had approached the body of the evil man, looking over the rag covered form. The bigger one, the scary one, looked Lucian straight in the eye. He couldn't help but sneak glances at the man's metal eye. It glowed red as it stared unblinkingly at him.
If the not so subtle glances at his disfigurement bothered the man, it did not show, for a moment later he spoke plainly, "what is your name boy"
Not a question, but a rousing demand, delivered with the authority of what one would expect from an enforcer of Mankind.
"Lucian, my Lord"
The smaller one, made from less metal and still inspecting the corpse and weapon, snorted at that, "he's no Lord, boy, merely a humble servant of the Emperor"
The scary one seemed to ignore his friend, his attention remaining on Lucian.
"What happened here"
Lucian instinctively thought back merely a few minutes, and once more the reality of his situation came down upon him. Tears began to fill his eyes.
Lynwood was about at the end of his patience. The boy was weak and annoying. His innocence offended the Arbite, and the officer of the Imperium was about to snap as the boy's eyes filled with liquid.
"He wanted blood"
While the child shook like a leaf in the wind, his voice remained firm. Strong. It took the man aback for a mere moment.
The fortitude, even so slight, was impressive for one so young.
But the words….
"Can you help her?"
Before returning to his duty, the grizzled Arbite offered the one bit of solace a person such as himself had received at a young age.
"She is with the Emperor now"
Turning away from the boy, Lynwood rose, his focus snapping to the corpse that Caius stood above.
"Remove the clothing" Lynwood commanded, his bolter drawn out and ready for use. His gaze had become sterner than usual, weary eyes flickering between structures and outcroppings of the buildings around them.
Caius raised an eyebrow, but he complied with the order, reaching down and grasping the black stained cloth that adorned the killer.
As it was torn away, it revealed the truth of the murderer.
Upon the back of the headless corpse, carved into his very flesh, was an eight pointed star.
Lynwood's frown deepened, even as Caius hissed and stepped back.
"Chaos"
"So close!" a hooded figure hissed, "did you not see! The boy nearly-"
"Quiet fool!" the other snapped, dragging his companion back into the shadows. The older Arbite had spun to look right at them, nearly spotting the more eager of the two.
Eventually the man turned away, taking the boy with him.
The other Arbite, the younger one, dragging the corpse behind him flanked them, his head constantly on a swivel.
They would most likely call for an air pick up from a safer location.
But… Why were they taking the body with them?
"The boy was so close… so close! I could see the power at his fingertips! It was… it was… glorious"
The second snorted, stepping out of the enclave as soon as the Arbites were out of view.
"Our lady has told us this"
The other sneered, "our lady!? Our?! Her pitiful seductions mean nothing! You should have put your faith into the Architect of Fate, not some misbegotten whor-"
The second wrapped his hand around the throat of the first, lifting him from the ground.
"Speak carefully fool, or I shall send you to your master"
He released his accomplice, leaving him a coughing mess.
"We must go. My lady must know what has happened here"
The second disappeared, leaving the first to remark upon the nature of the ambush both had witnessed.
"Blood crazed fool"
He disappeared a moment later.
After all, this was not over yet.
The changer of ways was on their side. Therefore if one plan fails… many more became readily available.
Marshal Cadosios Fabritanus stormed through the Governor's palace. His bootfalls echoed throughout the large and sparsely populated hallway.
Cadosios was an imposing man, taller than most of his colleagues but not at the towering stature of a Space Marine, his augmented form inclined the aides and servants floating through the palace to scuttle out of his warpath.
His eyes did not shift from the doorway at the end of the hall, even the calls of the Governor's secretary failed to dissuade him.
The ornate door was flung open as he marched inside of Governor Welis's office, closing the door in the face of the secretary that had attempted to rush after him.
"Cadosios"
The quiet word had come from the hunched man behind the singular desk of the office space.
The Marshal of Helios wasted no time.
"We have a situation"
Correct communications would be dispatched. The right authorities would be notified. A discovery such as this would typically be left to local instruments to handle, but so close to their yearly Tithe to the Imperium…
The Governor would not risk it.
Pulling some strings, he contacted the one organisation he trusted to deal with a potential Chaos Incursion.
The Inquisition.
It was a small space that Lucian was taken too.
He sat on the cool metal floor of the darkened room, his knees pulled closely to his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around them.
His mind was a storm of emotions and memories.
He could see the image of Alena, being stabbed, again and again….
Her blood was still seeping from her corpse as the Arbites took him away. Took him away to this horrible place. There were no windows, or obvious doors. There was no furniture, chairs or anything of the kind.
It was a nasty place.
Lucian decided he didn't like this metal room.
The words of the older man sunk into his mind.
"She is with the Emperor now" Lucian repeated, quietly. The room was so still and motionless he didn't want to speak. His voice, and his quiet sobs were the only noise that permeated the space.
It was horrid.
His emotions flared again.
The world narrowed down into a pinprick, and Lucian closed his eyes, all the horrible feelings and memories pushing into him in a singular moment.
He didn't notice how the room buckled slightly. How the foundations of the very space in which he occupied flexed and convulsed.
And then it stopped.
The boy opened his eyes.
Lucian felt his rage die down just as quickly as it had appeared. He suddenly felt so tired and drained, a heavy weight just pulling down on him.
The ground seemed comforting, even if it was made of grey steel.
His current thoughts vanished from his head as he gently put himself down onto the floor.
Adopting the most comfortable position he could manage, within moments Lucian was asleep.
In the observation room across from him, four men and women were speechless as they stared at one another.
A second later they sprung into action, informing as many people as possible as to what exactly had just occurred within the detention room.
Governor Romosein Welis turned away from the received communique, his gaze set out over his world as he contemplated the situation.
The Inquisition had been called for only a few days ago. He had expected weeks for a response.
But not one, but two Inquisitors were on route. The first to arrive would be a member of the Ordo Malleus.
Here to deal with Helios's latest problem...
Chaos.
Blasphemers.
Heresy.
Within his very borders, upon his world, a world that knew a vaguely odd touch of peace within the Imperium.
...for a time, that is.
Ages ago it had been the Governor's family that safe guarded this world. A time far before Romosein, when Helios was exposed to two of Humanities most persistent and deadliest of enemies.
The Greenskins, the endless tide of Ork had swarmed his world, long before he was but a gleam in his great great grandfather's eye.
His ancestors had beaten them back, wiped their scourge off the planet, and settled down….
And that was when the second enemy had struck.
Another foul Xenos species, the Eldar.
Unlike the Ork, the war with these far more sophisticated abominations had been costly and bloody.
But Romosein's family had prevailed.
Helios belonged again to humanity.
And after four generations of relative peace… a new enemy appeared. One that even the Emperor had been nearly defeated by…
The Governor of Helios turned away from the tall glass windows of his office spire, instead gazing upon a wall to the right of his immaculate and impressive view.
This wall held a series of items, each illuminated by a pinpoint light from the sharp and decorated ceiling.
Trophies.
Ork war Claws, Eldar helmets… each of these things was considered an illegal item. But Romosein kept them in order to remind himself of the harshness with which his world had dealt with.
War would not return to his planet unchecked. Disaster would not unfold while he sat in office.
The Inquisition would be here shortly.
Then, things would be able to return to normal.
Romosein looked toward the largest piece of his collection, the Skull of the Ork 'Warboss'. A brutish creature, with horribly grotesque features, fit for a race with the name of Ork.
If the Greenskin menace could be defeated, then these Heretics would be cut out like a malignant growth.
Inquisitor Ahmazzi of the Ordo Malleus was old. Very old. By all rights he should have been buried a long time ago, allowed to finally take a break from his duties to the Imperium.
The Guard didn't know how good they got it.
All it took was an artillery shell, a stray round or even accidental friendly fire, and they would join the Emperor in the Afterlife.
For Ahmazzi… he supposed he was just a bit too good at his job. That and staying alive seemed to be his speciality.
So as his personal craft entered Helios's atmosphere, and he shook like a leaf in the wind, all the old man could do was grumble to himself.
His personal guards, cloaked and armored, said nothing about this. There were six occupants of the craft's cabin, and they made up four of them. Each was armed with their personal weaponry.
Bolters, flamers, grenades and even a plasma pistol for one of them. Most of them were checking and rechecking their gear, offering constant prayers to the machine spirits that ran them.
Frankly they were used to their bosses grumbling.
The old man never refused a job, and quite frankly, it would be a cold day in the Warp when the Great Ahmazzi refused to smite the forces of the Archenemy.
"Is this it then?" a hushed voice came from the Inquisitor's side.
Ahmazzi sighed.
His aide and sanctioned psyker, Denex Dondarin, was most certainly going to get on his nerves. The man was only 40, and had yet to truly spend enough time pursuing the objectives of the Inquisition. He was the most bright eyed and fully haired replacement for a Psyker that Ahmazzi had ever received.
The last had died honorably.
An atmospheric bump shook all of them in their seats.
Ahmazzi merely stroked his beard for a moment.
"We will know once we have appraised the situation"
"But what about this Psyker in custody? The witness of the attack, didn't the-"
Ahmazzi fixed his eager subordinate with a baleful glare. He knew better than to speak of such things so openly.
Denex hung his head.
"My apologies Lord Inquisitor, I am just… excited to finally be of use"
Ahmazzi snorted, "weather you shall be of use is yet to be seen"
Denex's mouth gaped slightly, and to the Inquisitor's glee, had his retort cut off by the pilot announcing their landing.
"My Lord Inquisitor. We shall be upon the ground in moments. May the Emperor bless your expedition"
Ahmazzi keyed his vox channel, replying to his dutiful pilot, "My thanks Garridus. We shall contact you if we are in need of immediate retrieval"
The old man ignored the reply of affirmation as the Valkyrie touched down for a brief moment.
Released from the holdings of their seats, as Ahmazzi stood, so did his aide and bodyguards.
There was work to be done, and apparently, a Chaos Cult to be routed and destroyed.
Lynwood Deculus and Caius Helix were monitoring the boy. After the observation team had a well deserved tantrum witnessing the boy warp reality for a brief moment, the two had decided to relieve them of their duties.
After all, if the touch of corruption had reached the child, it could have reached them as well.
The Inquisitor would decide when he arrived.
"You know" Caius began from his seat across the small 5 by 10 meter room, "if these are the last days I spent among the living, I'll be very annoyed"
While his colleague had gotten as comfortable as possible in his appropriated chair, Lynwood stood, his eyes never leaving the rows of monitors before him.
Lynwood kept a careful eye on each of the displays.
The boy had not moved from his huddled position.
Lynwood was having trouble seeing any kind of threat in the tiny frame. A small body and frame like that could be broken between his very own hands, let alone dealt with by Bolter or Flamer.
The servitors had just fed him, and the weak movements of the child made his understanding of the boy being a threat… impossible.
Even though he knew in his heart that his eyes had not deceived him. Everyone in the Arbitrator Fortress had felt the strangeness that had emanated from this part of the structure.
The original observation team had nearly been hysterical trying to inform someone of what had happened.
It had been a personal order of the Marshal to confine the observation team, and order Caius and Lynwood to watch the boy.
They were, of course, locked inside the observation room, just as much a prisoner as the boy and observation team was.
"You will die doing your duty to the Emperor and His Imperium" Lynwood replied.
"Gah" Caius slouched further, "you're such a buzzkill sometimes"
"The Inquisition is the first and last line of defense against the enemies of Mankind. They will do what they deem is necessary to stem any potential threats"
Caius snorted at the nearly automated response, "pfft. From what I hear they just obliterate us from orbit and call it a day"
Lynwood grimaced, somewhat amused at the joke, "if they have to"
Caius raised an eyebrow, "how would you know?"
A tense moment of silence echoed out between the two partners.
Lynwood wished to remain silent, but did know that if this Inquisitor was… extreme, this would indeed be their last days alive.
No need to keep secrets it seemed.
"I served under an Inquisitor. A woman... of the Ordo Xenos… she released me of my duty while we were stationed above Helios"
Caius' jaw dropped.
"Holy Throne… you're having a go at me, aren't you?"
Lynwood said nothing.
"No… Really? Wait wait wait wait" Caius shot to his feet, and Lynwood felt a headache begin to build.
"You've been a Xenos hunter this entire time, and you haven't shared a single story with me" Caius held a hand to his breast, "you wound me Sir"
Lynwood growled, "they were turbulent times for myself. In my youth I was very… rash"
Caius smirked, "so rash you were released from your Inquisitors service?"
Lynwood flinched, his eyes glancing to Caius for a moment. It was a rare thing for the younger man to leave his older counterpart at a loss for words.
As such, Lynwood punched him in his nose.
"OWE!" Caius flopped back, landing in the chair as he clutched his face with both hands, "what in the name of the Emperor was that for?"
Lynwood was about to reply when the door at the end of the Observation room opened.
No less than four heavily armored Tempestus Scions flanked two men. One man wore light armor and robes, and was the more youthful of the pair.
The other was old and short, leaning on a cain by his side. Lynwood did not discount the sword by the man's belt.
The old face looked at him first, one eye replaced by an oculus, with wiring disappearing down his back. His left leg was also mechanical, probably explaining why he favoured the right leg and the cain in his hand.
His clothing was black and trimmed, detailed in such a way that Lynwood had no doubts.
The Arbite bowed low, "My Lord Inquisitor"
Walking calmly into the room, the old man said nothing. While his companion followed him in, his guard remained behind in the hallway.
He came to stand beside Lynwood, his eyes fixed to the monitor with which the Arbite had been looking at.
The aide was staring at Caius, who was doing his best not to squirm under the other man's gaze.
"I am Inquisitor Ahmazzi. I have been informed that you are the two Enforcers which discovered the presence of chaos five days ago"
The old man, now recognised as Ahmazzi, turned to face Lynwood. He recognised him as the senior of the two.
"That is correct my Lord" Lynwood nodded, "we assumed the suspect to be a crazed murderer…" he gestured to the monitors, and by extension, the boy which was depicted upon them.
"The child mentioned how the man demanded blood. I grew suspicious and requested my companion to remove the man's ragged clothing. Beneath we found an eight pointed star"
The aide glanced away from Caius, instead fixing his gaze on Lynwood. The man did not flinch under the new found suspicion.
"And how is it,'' Ahmazzi looked Lynwood up and down, "that an Arbite is so familiar with one of the many signs of Chaos? Such a symbol should be beyond your training, enforcer"
Lynwood held his posture straight and answered.
"My Lord, I am no stranger to the Inquisition and the threats it seeks to destroy" Lynwood locked eyes with Ahmazzi, ignoring the pointed gaze of the unknown aide.
"I served under Inquisitor Yizabel, of the Ordo Xenos, in my youth. She released me from my duty to her above Helios. I stayed, and refined my skills within the Adeptus Arbites"
Ahmazzi held the man's eyes for what felt like a few minutes more.
His aide broke the silence.
"He speaks the truth my Lord, even if he is too embarrassed to share the details"
Ahmazzi sighed at his subordinates' interruption, but continued on, unimpeded. The old Inquisitor pointed toward the displays of the observation room.
"This child… he is the survivor of the attack"
Lynwood nodded, "and a suspected Psyker"
The aide perked up, moving closer to his Inquisitor in order to stare over his shoulder and at the bank of monitors.
"...I sense nothing from him"
"Gotta make him angry first"
All three of them turned to Caius, who recoiled ever so slightly at the attention.
"At least, that's what the initial observation team claimed. The boy was exhibiting signs of stress before everything went, and I quote, 'really weird'"
The Inquisitor said nothing for a moment.
"Follow me"
He strode out of the room, his aide dutifully following in his wake.
Lynwood and Caius only hesitated a second. The four Stormtroopers worked the two Arbites into their formation.
That, or they just wanted to make sure they had a weapon at their backs. Lynwood kept his eyes on the back of the aide however. It was obvious that Caius was studying the Inquisitor, trying to take in as much information as his underused mind could.
Lynwood knew better.
The Aide was a psyker. Arguably a powerful one. He had been reading their minds in the observation room and he hadn't felt a thing.
"Inquisitor Yizabel you said?"
Lynwood shook himself from his musings as the old man spoke. He did not turn around to speak to the Arbite now under his command, but Lynwood was sharp enough to know the Inquisitor spoke to him.
"Yes my Lord" he answered after a moment, "I served as her… executioner"
Five more minutes passed in silence. The only noise produced was their collective boots upon the metal floor of the hallways.
They reached the outside of the cell, the one that the boy was housed within and remained stationed there for a few more moments.
"She died some time ago. A few years at least" the old man turned his head to Lynwood, "my condolences"
The door to the cell opened, and he and his Aide entered before the cell was sealed behind them.
AN: Thanks for reading. Banged this out over the course of a few weeks. Finally got the want and drive to finish it... uh if you're interested in more let me know! First 40k FF I've ever written even though I love the damn universe, so any constructive critics are very welcome.