Tales of the Amber Vipers Chapter 302

"Where did you find the bodies?" Ryneon asked.

"Stashed in an abandoned sector, close by the chill of space," Regulam answered promptly.

"They were well hidden," Nyoir mused, "How did you stumble across them?"

"She was following me, but I was well aware. Inquisitors are not as stealthy as they believe. When her footsteps no longer clanged in my ears I backtracked, and found them."

Ryneon looked upon the bodies laid before him. Two they were, one mortal, the other… not. The first was Inquisitor Velpecula, laying stone dead upon a crate. Mere hours before she had been talking with Ryneon, now she was lifeless, her throat torn out. Ryneon had seen many deaths in his time, but that was a bad way to die, even for an Inquisitor. The other body though intrigued him more, Transhuman in form, but warped and twisted in vile ways. A mutant, offensive to all good men, its mere existence a crime.

Nyoir leaned down and noted, "Both bodies have been ravaged, as if by a wild animal."

"The fangs marks are identical," Regulam observed, "Whatever killed one, killed the other too."

"A tragic end," Ryneon sighed.

Nyoir looked puzzled, "You mourn an Inquisitor?"

Ryneon sniffed, "The Inquisition performs the function of its office, to hate them is redundant. Velpecula served the Golden Throne in her allotted task, she did not merit so debased a death. A clean hit from a bolt round, perhaps, but not this."

Auriga sniffed, "She's dead either way, but upon this death I sense fault lines in destiny forming."

Nyoir straightened up, "You don't sound very upset about your sworn charge being killed."

Auriga's voice was so indifferent he could have been commenting on the weather, "This is a tragedy, I have failed my mission. Oh woe is me; my shame is more than I can bear."

Ryneon passed over it, "Our ally is correct; this is the incendiary spark we need to ignite a demolition charge. We must take full advantage of it. I sent a missive to Captain Toran and he has agreed to speak to us before the meeting. We must show him what we have discovered."

Auriga lifted an eyebrow, "You seek the aid of the Storm Heralds, what of the Soul Drinkers?"

"Irrelevances," Ryneon dismissed, "Daggon commands but a single squad, they shall play no part in this. Toran has a company at his back, we need him. Regulam, you have served the Howling Griffons well, return to your duties."

Regulam made the sign of the Aquila and left but Nyoir mused, "You think to convince Toran to side with us?"

"What of the Parley?" Auriga asked.

Ryneon gestured to the body of the Inquisitor, "Coluber vouchsafed her safety, now she is dead. The Parley is broken; we are no longer beholden to stay our wrath."

Nyoir looked concerned, "We do not know his Marines did this. We do not know what sort of creature inflicted wounds like these."

"Then Coluber allowed dangerous mutants to roam his base unchecked. He is guilty of dereliction of duty. Ultimately it matters not what did this, all that matters is the Viper's no longer enjoys the protection of parley."

Auriga bowed to examine the other body, "A strange thing this is, I sense cracks throughout its being. It is of Space Marine blood, but it is no Astartes. Where did it come from, and why does it exist? An experiment gone wrong, a fiend from without, a horror from long ago, waiting its chance to strike? These questions elude me."

"Many of the Amber Vipers hide their faces," Nyoir mused, "You don't think there are more like this?"

Ryneon asserted, "The blessed purity of the human form has been polluted by inferior blood. A Heresy no Astartes could ever tolerate. That such a thing could be permitted to live proves the Viper's corruption. Coluber cannot pretend to be righteous anymore!"

Nyoir looked concerned, "You intend to make a pact with the Storm Heralds, but we too are not without our secrets."

"Your fears do not carry weight with me," Ryneon sniffed.

But Auriga advised, "Your Brother has a point. It would not reflect well upon us if the Storm Heralds knew we came here with the purpose of breaking the parley. Better that Toran believes we knew nothing when we approached the Amber Vipers, that we learned of these thefts only after we arrived."

"A lie?" Ryneon asked.

"An omission," Auriga corrected, "We are not oath-sworn to tell all our truths. I have my own secrets, as do you."

"Agreed," Ryneon conceded.

Nyoir however looked puzzled, "Our relics, you said. The Blood Ravens too have artefacts to reclaim?"

Auriga didn't look pleased at being exposed but admitted, "I confess I have an item to obtain. Locked away behind the Gates of Perdition."

"You know this for certain?"

"I have a spy inside the Amber Vipers, ask me not who it is, know only that we here share a purpose."

Ryneon was not pleased by the revelation but said, "Then we shall make a united front. Coluber will be confronted with his crimes, and be forced to return that which his renegades stole. If he refuses then we shall unleash our full wrath upon this place, and take what is ours from the Viper's cold dead hands!"

Silence fell over the room as Toran entered and Ryneon moved to block the corpses from his sight. The Storm Herald had come alone, cutting a fine figure with his heraldry and crisp cloak. His face was exposed, revealing his augmetic eye and the stern bearing of his jaw spoke of unyielding determination. Firstborn in stature, but with that dangerous edge the older generation radiated, one accustomed to fighting against impossible odds on a daily basis. Toran was every inch the Astartes Captain, and Ryneon was sure he would be equally outraged.

"Captain Toran, thank you for coming so swiftly, and alone," Ryneon greeted.

"Your summons was urgent and none can question the integrity of the Howling Griffons," Toran replied.

"Alas, the same cannot be said of our hosts."

"Your meaning?" Toran probed.

Ryneon stepped aside, revealing the bodies laid upon the crates. Toran froze and his left hand wrapped about the hilt of his sword. Ryneon could see reactions play out in micro-expressions, shock, doubt, curiosity and then grim anger. Invisible to mortal eyes, but to another Space Marine it was obvious.

"Velpecula," Toran breathed, "Slain?"

"Right under our host's noses," Ryneon explained, "Coluber has broken the Parley."

"I shed no tears for a dead Inquisitor," Toran uttered, "But to happen to one under the sworn protection of the Amber Vipers, this is an outrage. I shall take this to Coluber at once!"

Ryneon lifted a hand, "I ask you for patience, for there is more to tell you."

"More?!"

Auriga explained, "We have recently learned that precious relics of our Chapters have been purloined by these thieves. Armour, weapons, vehicles and arcana of many Chapters."

Toran was taken aback, "We saw they claimed the Battlebarge of a dead Chapter, I assumed much of their gear came from them, or was traded with local governors."

Ryneon elaborated, "Some perhaps, but not all. Since we came here many lies have been exposed. There are relics that rightfully belong to the Howling Griffons and the Blood Ravens within the Serpens Rex, taken and never returned to their Chapters of origin."

Toran's face darkened, "Those lying bastards. They showed me, showed me the vehicles to my face. They paraded them before me like prized cattle, boasting of their larceny. To think I did not even question their origins. I should have known better, I have been blind."

"Alas it get worse," Ryneon stated, "Examine this body."

Toran looked upon the mutant and his eye hardened with anger. Toran grasped the implications as well as Ryneon did, and was equally offended. The Storm Heralds valued genetic purity as much as the Howling Griffons, as much as any Emperor-fearing Imperial. The racial-purity of humanity was a bedrock of the Imperium, to defile it was a crime against the Emperor's decrees. Whole worlds had been put to the torch for bearing unacceptable genes, for straying from the sanctioned strain of humanity.

Toran's voice was grave, "How many more?"

Nyoir volunteered, "You have seen those Amber Vipers who hide their faces, we assume they too are mutants."

"They almost had me," Toran growled as his grip tightened on his sword's hilt.

Ryneon pressed, "Explain."

Toran's anger broiled, "They almost had me convinced, Coluber and his ilk. They showed me their best face and I accepted it without question. I knew there was more they were hiding, I knew they had secrets, but I allowed it to pass without comment. Their reputation I excused as the results of necessary deeds, mandated by pragmatism and desperate odds. I am a thrice-damned fool."

"You bear no blame," Nyoir consoled.

"I was warned, by my lieutenants. Understand I have had previous encounters with Coluber, at the start of their tale. I allowed that familiarity to sway me. I sympathised with their plight and showed compassion for their dire straits. Waved off their crimes and wrung my hands over their misery. Emperor forgive me, I have allowed Heretics to roam unchecked, all because I valued my word over my duty."

"You did your duty as you saw fit," Auriga offered, "But now we ask you to stand with us."

Toran looked at him, "Your charge is slain, this is a grim day for us all."

"I am filled with sorrow," Auriga deflected in deadpan tones, "Rest assured I shall perform the appropriate penances."

Ryneon cut in, "I intend to take this evidence straight to Coluber and demand he make restitution. The relics of the Howling Griffons and Blood Ravens shall be returned, or the Vipers will suffer our wroth."

"And the STC's," Nyoir pointed out.

"Oh yes, them too," Ryneon sniffed.

Toran nodded, "The Storm Heralds are shamed, I am ashamed. Coluber has deceived us all, this cannot be allowed to pass. I offer to stand with you as you seek your due. I shall be your ally and the Amber Vipers shall pay for their perfidious deeds."

Ryneon accepted the offer graciously, "Howling Griffons, Blood Ravens and Storm Herald together. Let the Vipers beware, for our wroth shall shake the pillars of creation!"