Locum Ignotum Chapter 9

Voices were raised in shrill accusation, sharp words flying back and forth. Men and women squabbled and shouted, pointing fingers and hurling insults. A score of people all shouting over each other, not listening to a word the other side was saying. Amid that argument Chaplain Wrethan sighed to himself, not at all surprised by the state of affairs, these people were mortal, fallible and their weak hearts lacked discipline and honour.

Wrethan let the argument wash over him, silently ignoring the harsh words. He turned his eyes away from the braying mob and surveyed his surroundings, looking over the rude buildings. This was a small town, no more than a few thousand people, set in the foothills of looming mountains. It was right on the edge of civilisation, the very edge of the settled territories.

Wrethan had been requested to come here by Baruch, who was sitting upon the ground, his head level with the shouting crowd. It had seemed like an urgent request at the time so they had taken a Thunderhawk and the Command Squad, as symbols of their authority. They had piled aboard and readied for immediate departure, only to be surprised when Ganaar had arrived and jumped aboard, seeming to assume he had some right to be there. Wrethan had tolerated the impudence, expecting an emergency at their destination. He had been bitterly disappointed to learn that they had come all this way to settle a domestic dispute. An argument between local families of no great import. It didn't surprise Wrethan at all to find that this idyllic paradise was not perfect after all, it seemed human nature remained the same everywhere. Men still fought and drank and lied as men do and strife was inevitable.

It seemed that Baruch had taken on the role of judge and arbiter of civil disputes, trusted by all to settle these matters. He was currently listening intently to both sides, saying nothing as the grievances were aired. Wrethan in contrast had been contemptuous of these slovenly mortals, in his reckoning they all needed a good flogging. He had dispatched the Command Squad to patrol, Ganaar in tow. Only Jediah had let his frustration show, muttering about his hatred of this place and everybody who lived here. Wrethan knew that Jediah was getting worse, his temper was fraying and the Chaplain had resolved to keep a closer eye upon him.

Wrethan dragged his attention back to the argument, as far as he could discern it was about some girl who had married the wrong lad. Marriages were pre-arranged by families here and a match had been set with a man, who already owned a farm, which could provide for a family. For some inexplicable reason the girl disagreed and had secretly wed a younger lad, a scrawny youth with wispy blonde hair. Wrethan knew little of mating practices but he was baffled why any girl would turn down a grown man with his own farm for a boy with no callouses on his hands.

Thankfully at that point Baruch clapped his hands and everybody froze, staring at the huge giant sitting among them. Baruch looked the crowd over and said, "For shame, look at yourselves arguing over nothing."

From the crowd a voice arose, "But…"

Baruch fixed them with a glower and said, "Are you forgetting that we are all neighbours, friends even. You there, when your fields flooded was it not your neighbours who worked long days to save your crops? And you, when your wife fell ill and you had to go take your flock to the market who made sure your children were fed and clothed?"

The crowd fell silent, everybody staring at their feet in shame. Baruch stood up, his height and bulk making them shrink back and he proclaimed, "This is a cause for celebration not arguing. Two families are now one, let there be no angry words, there should be smiles and music and dancing!"

The crowd fell back, everybody looking unsure. They clearly were still angry but not one of them wanted to argue with a giant Space Marine. Their faces were equal parts fear and shame, knowing that Baruch had made a decision and not one of them dared to challenge it. Slowly the mob broke up and slunk away, their argument set aside, for now.

Wrethan watched them go, his skull-helm shaking from side to side. Brauch noticed the displeasure radiating off the Chaplain and said, "You do not approve?"

Wrethan snarled, "These people are weak, they fall short of the Emperor's vision."

Baruch mused, "You say that and yet your Chapter fights for his people."

Wrethan explained, "Because the Divine Emperor commands it to be so."

"So to you this a task you have been set, merely a chore," Baruch mused, "You do not care for the people."

Wrethan snorted and said, "It was mortals who let the Imperium slide into weakness and sloth, the High Lords and their endless intrigues have failed to hold true. The Divine Emperor must weep at what they have done to His dream."

Baruch was silent for a long moment then said, "How strange to hear you speak of divinity. You raise the Emperor up with one hand and discard his people with the other. But I remember the look in his eye when he told us how things should be."

Wrethan was about to argue but then he caught the hidden message and he stammered, "You… you… laid eyes upon Him?"

Baruch nodded and said, "Once, from far away. It was part of a joint muster of the Ist and XVIIIth Legions, he stood with Vulkan and Lion El' Jonson and addressed us before the final push to break the Ork stronghold of Varghraa."

"What was He like?" Wrethan breathed in wonder.

Baruch looked up at the mountains above and said distantly, "You only had to lay eyes upon him to know that he was the one and had always been the one. He was going to lead us out of Old Night into a new day. But it was the way he spoke that truly moved us, the lessons he imparted to us."

Wrethan couldn't believe his ears and blurted out, "What did he say?"

Baruch was very distant now as he recounted, "He said it was time for humanity to stop placing false idols upon pedestals, time to stop raising one icon up above all others. He said that our strength was at its peak not when we bow down but when we stand up. That when the day came that each and every man dedicated himself to the good of all his fellow men then our race would at last achieve its true potential. He said our fealty should be not to graven idols but to each other, that all our endeavours should be bent towards the betterment of humanity."

Wrethan was confused and said, "But he created the Astartes, He raised us up with His wisdom and great power."

Baruch pressed, "But where does that power flow from? Who grows the crops that feed your Chapter, who forges your weapons, your ships and your armour? How many ordinary men labour so you can march to war? Your strength flows from the common man, not the other way around."

Wrethan was stunned and whispered an old mantra from the teachings of the Ecclesiarchy, "The strength of humanity is the Emperor and the strength of the Emperor is humanity."

Baruch nodded and said, "We understood all too well that we were fighting for the goal of self-obsolesce, to create a galaxy where humanity no longer needed us. We were laying out the path but it was the common men and women who were to follow us, to inherit what we had wrought. The Traitors forgot that, I think, they forgot that our purpose was to serve humanity not rule over it."

Wrethan had never been so spiritually challenged so before and he had a strange thought, "To fight for the Emperor is to fight for humanity and to fight for humanity is to fight for the Emperor."

Baruch smiled warmly and he said, "Perhaps there is hope for you yet."

Wrethan was troubled by this, all his life he had devoted himself to the Emperor. Never had he thought that his idol would not thank him for that or condemn him for his devotions. Wrethan realised that he had much to think upon but suddenly there was a sharp scream, rising over the town.

Wrethan's head snapped up sensing a great commotion coming from the far side of the town. Instantly he was in motion springing into action and racing forward, Baruch in tow. Wrethan's dual pulse accelerated and in the back of his mind his soul quivered with the prospect of action at last.

He skidded around a corner and found an odd scene, people laying around on the ground, groaning and throwing up. Many of them had broken limbs or were clutching at their bellies and heads, contusions and sprains were everywhere as people cried out in pain. It looked like some wild force had torn through here, leaving devastation in its wake, smashing down anyone who was in the way.

Baruch's jaw dropped and he said, "What happened?"

Wrethan took in the scene, analysing the patterns as he said, "This is the work of one being, transhuman, using only fists and boots."

Baruch's jaw tightened and his customary smile vanished as he said, "Who could have done this?"

Wrethan already knew the answer, it was an inescapable conclusion and he spat, "Jediah... he's finally snapped."

For the first time Baruch looked angry and he snarled, "One of your Marines has broken faith with us, he attacks the innocent!"

"I knew he was under strain but I never thought he'd act like this," Wrethan murmmered.

Baruch clenched his fists and said, "He must pay for this crime."

Wrethan nodded and stated, "He has broken with our orders, this cannot be tolerated. Come we must catch him, he can't have gone far."

Together the pair of them sprang into a run, racing through the town. They followed a trail of crying and moaning people leading them to the edge of the town. Here the trail disappeared out into open countryside, leaving no trace. However they did find an unexpected surprise.

Crouched in the dirt was the distinct form of Ganaar, shifting the ground with one hand and grasping his axe in the other. His face bore a fierce expression of concentration but he must have heard them approach for he said without looking around, "You're too late, Jediah's already been through here. He headed for the mountains, where none will find him."

Wrethan hissed, "Jediah has lost his mind."

"Ja," said Ganaar, "The beast has awoken within him, but his soul has not yet been devoured. What follows now is a battle for his spirit, man against beast and it is one he cannot win alone."

Wrethan dismissed the mystical talk and spat, "We'll call up the Thunderhawk, run him down from the air. His dishonour will be expunged with fire."

Ganaar shook his head sadly and said, "He is too skilled for that, you will never see him from the air we must go on foot. I have his scent, he cannot escape me."

Baruch's eyes smouldered with fire and he spat, "Lead the way then."

"No," Ganaar said, "You are unarmoured; you will not survive if the beast wins the battle for his soul. I will take the preacher here and track Jediah down."

Baruch looked like he was going to argue but Wrethan put and hand on his chest and said, "You should remain, your people need you, now more than ever."

Baruch paused then nodded and said, "You are right, these people are scared and frightened people do foolish things. I will calm their fears; you must track down the criminal and see that justice is done."

Wrethan nodded and said, "He will not escape us, Jediah will be found and made to pay for his crime. One way or another."

Ganaar gripped his axe and stared at the snowy peaks above as he said, "This I swear to you, Jediah shall come back as a man or not at all."