The humid and calm air of the jungle was filled with a serene song of life. Local fauna, their colors vibrant and distracting swung slightly in the wind. Wildlife echoed around the dense and lush trees in a near hypnotic melody. Hues of all color fought for dominance on the jungle floor, spreading upwards and outwards in the endless contest for light. Trees as tall as towers loomed overhead, sloping and bending to create an infinite green canopy. Beams of light shine downed in clearings, small patches of dirt laying untouched by the plant life of the jungle. The greatness of the place made the jungle seem nearly living itself.

All of that was shattered in nearly an instant.

In one of such clearings a tear in reality opened, swirling to the height of a single story, controlled by some outer worldly force. Twisted and unholy screams quaked through the great forest, the un natural light casting hues over the surrounding plant life, over casting both light and noise from the surrounding jungle. Out of all the screams came three larger ones, overcastting the twisted and unnatural ones, their sound growing closer as the portal contracted and convulsed. Suddenly, three forms were delivered from the portal, spit out onto the ground beneath them. The three bodies scattered, laid into the dirt, their screams silent.

The portal, its contents now removed, shook and convulsed for a final time before slowly absorbing itself, growing smaller and smaller until it disappeared with a reality returning "pop". The unholy screams and unnatural light disappeared with the absence of the portal, returning the jungle atmosphere to normal save for the lack of sound.


The pounding sensation in the back of my head was neigh unbearable. Travel through the warp was easier to handle, due to the Gellar Field aboard the ships, but unrestrained, it was near mind splitting. When one travels in the warp, out of mind, it is merely horrors that one normal person who feel and see. For a psyker such as myself, the danger became magnified a thousand-fold, for the instant you stepped out into the Immaterium, your very mind and spirit became a battlefield. If I was man of lesser mind and spirit, I may have become corrupted, or worse, a Daemon host.

My mind, though clouded, allows me some amount of control. My hands shift beneath my body, rubbing their way into the firm soil beneath their gloved tips. That is not right, for it should be cold steel and foul waters, not dirt and leaves. I raise my head up, tilting back to find myself laying nearly face down into the ground, that is not all however, for in my vision lies hues, hues of magnitude and greenery, reaching as far as my eyes can see. I see the bodies of trees, reaching up and up as my eyes follow them, until the loom above me. I twist my head, my eyes suddenly blinded by the bright light of the sun that reaches through an opening in the dark canopy. I raise my hand over them in a near mock salute, my eyes readjusting to such a glorious light. Truly I am a man blessed by the Emperor.

The humidity of the place washes over me, sweat beginning to flow from my pores as I sweep my eyes over the area. The jungle seems to stretch on forever, a natural mockery of the tunnels of the underhive. It comes crashing back to me, the underhive, the cultist, the fighting, and the portal. I swivel back and forth, my arms reaching for my weapons to find them not equipped on my belt. The sun beams down, light guiding my vision to my side just in time to hear a begotten moan. I look towards the source, only to have my worry replaced with relief as I rest my gaze upon Adept Brocuss Fewtun, my personal scribe and xenologist. His groaning was most likely due to the fact that he was face first in the dirt floor and his right arm was trapped underneath his body. I turn my face away from him to redirect my gaze upon the glint right beside me.

Sunk halfway into the land rest my Daemon Hammer, Resounding Faith. Forged on Mars and Sanctified on Holy Terra, its master crafted face lay at rest, its handle begging for it to be lofted once more. I answered its call, my gauntlets grasping the hammer before lifting it up to rest upon my shoulder pauldren. With my free hand I grasped my other tool of office, my personal Inferno pistol, which had laid beside the magnificent hammer. With my weapons with me once more I turn back to Brocuss, to find him raising himself up, slowly brushing away the dirt flakes that had dotted his cloak. He raises his head to look at me.

"Let us not have to go through that again Jordius, I for one prefer to have my soul and sanity intact when the Emperor calls to me." He says, finally finished with the cleaning of his robe. His face gives a small smile, which I share openly, glad to see one of my closest friends. The shuffling of brush behind me however cause my smile to slip away into a small crease across my face, my armored body turning towards the noise.

"I agree with the adept Inquisitor, I for one prefer to face my opponents on a physical level, that way the Emperor can smile down upon me for my purity." A female voice resounds from the brush as it is pushed apart by a figure covered in black armor accented by artistic white and red trimming. My smile returns to my scarred face.

"Well said Sister Catherine, I too prefer to face my opponent hand to hand rather than to rely on my 'gifts'." I say, watching as the woman in question approaches us in the center of the clearing, bolter at ease but her eyes no doubt scanning the area for threats underneath her helmet. Sister Catherine of the Ebon Heart was one of the newest members of my retinue, having served me for under 4 years. A Celestian of her Order, she was chosen to serve the inquisition when we called upon the Order. She has served me well, with unblemished purity and unrelenting fury against the enemies of The Emperor. Though she is well versed in multiple manners of combat, she truly excels at melee, her chainsword and bolt pistol ring an unstoppable force against the foe. I am glad to have her with me in this strange place, where ever we may be.

"Come then my friends, there is no time to waste! We shall address our current situation when we break free from this jungle" I say, my voice carrying over my comrades in some spectacle of bravado. Hefting my Daemon hammer further up my shoulder, I lead the march into the jungle, Cathrine and Broccus flanking me as we move through the fauna. I notice that our small reunion in the clearing had slowly broken through the silence of the forest, birds chirping and other creatures filling the void of silence that had come with our arrival. The sound of life put an easy to my thoughts.


My companions stayed near silent as we continued through the jungle, only breaking our voiceless time by a grunt or nod of thanks for moving something aside or offering to help if one tripped. I had passed into a deep form of trance as we moved through the undergrowth. I reflected upon our arrival to this lush place and what it could mean, I sought answers and prayed silently hoping that The Emperor could answer my questions. I began to question if there were any enemies to be had in the forest that could endanger us besides the local fauna. My trance seemingly ended when I heard a quite grumble come from Brocuss's stomach. I turned my head at him to see his face a small bit flushed in embarrassment.

"Hungry old friend?" I asked, slowing down my pace. I could already see the answer in his mind and his eyes, but I let him voice it for the sake of courteously. Our trek had been going for over three hours now as my chrono-meter had told me and I too was beginning to feel the hunger growing in my own stomach.

"Indeed I am old friend, though I do not know what would pass for edible in this jungle. I doubt that many creatures in this forest could survive without good honest food however. I will stretch out with my mind and attempt to gain knowledge of what passes for 'safe' in this seemingly un hostile place. " I speak, my voice fading as I reach out with my mind. Though I am not as powerful as my sanctioned psyker Belladonna, I have my tricks, such as the infiltration and ability to pick apart minds. I reach into the immaterium, using the power I draw forth with my very soul to expand my senses for miles around me. I can feel the forest beneath me, pulsing with life from thousands of different creatures and animals. My mind self slips like a snake through the twisting jungle trees around us searching for anything that has enough intelligence for basic thought. There, I see it, a pack of sparks, their souls dull amongst the over bearing encompass of the jungle.

A pack of simple primates, about a dozen strong, lay at rest amongst the jungle vines, their hands laying at rest around fruits as large as a fuel canister for my inferno pistol. Their sharp teeth open wide, stripping away the fleshy covering to get into the fruit beneath. The fruit is a bright orange, akin to that of a sun. Juices leak from the primates' mouths, dropping towards the jungle floor alongside discarded peals. I reach into their minds, trying to find a source of where these seemingly delicious fruits may grow. Sifting through the primates mind I recount their emotions mainly, easy enough to find the place where said fruits could be found. I latch onto it, seeing from the primate's eyes a large open area, a lake resting near a small water fall. The view allows me to gain a cursory glance at the area, where the trees break to allow a large amount of sunlight. It looks to be a perfect place to find out where we are. I whip my mind fully back to my body, coming out of my psykic induced trance.

"Come my friends, I have found suitable food and a place where we may unveil just were we may be." I say, turning sharply to lead my comrades to the lake. I shrug aside blankets of vines as I forge a quicker path towards the clearing. Though mind has retracted back into my body of flesh and blood I can still feel the psykic residue of my own passing, and of the souls surrounding us. My guard is not lax, but I am glad we appeared in the jungle, for if any enemies were to scan for us they would have a hard time, both physically and mentally, trying to find us among this dense undergrowth of a thousand souls.

The jungle begins to spread apart, vines becoming more clustered in smaller parts than blanketing us in a living curtain. Soon, the undergrowth becomes more spread out, dirt and plants slowly giving way to small paths of wild grass. Suddenly, after twisting round the trunk of a peculiarly large tree, the jungle gives way to the mighty spectacle of the oasis.

Pristine blue water sparkles in the afternoon sun that hangs high above our heads. The calm atmosphere is life around us, from insects chirping to the rush of the small waterfall to our left. Several small creatures lay at rest across the pond, sipping from the cleanest waters I have ever seen. Small trees hang partially over the water, the great bulbous fruits from before hanging over the clear water. We are upon a small peninsula indented into the small lake, the outcrop raised slightly to give us the appearance of lords. My friends join me, their shock and awe pressing out, my mind enjoying the slight pride of leading them to such a clean place.

"Jordius, i-it is beautiful." Brocuss says, his voice carrying in the breeze. I cannot help but agree with him, for it is one of the most graceful displays of nature I have ever seen. Everything seems so at peace, so out of place. I never knew such a place could exist and survive in a galaxy consumed by war. The though brought up the question that had been haunting my mind. Where in the name of the warp where we?

"The Emperor must have truly blest us to come upon such a place, I just hope that he will preserve it." Sister Catherine speaks from my right, her voice clear and pristine as the waters below. I turn, wondering why her voice has changed tint only to be met with flowing locks of pure white hair cresting the shoulder pauldrens of her armor. Truly this place as blessed as she said if she is willing to remove her helmet upon an unknown world. I turn back to the area with a smile, glad to see my trusted ones so open with nature.

"I stand by your statement Catherine, and the Emperor has rewarded us greatly. Look to the left, five meters away." I say, my head already focused upon my target. A tree sat dangling along the edge of the pond, its fruit lowering its branched to head height. I slowly shift towards it, my open hand grasping for one of the large fruits. Grasping the large orb of orange, I pull back, the small root giving little resistance you my armored hands. I toss it in my hand, gauging the weight before throwing it backwards into the air. I hear Brocuss's feet leave the ground for a second as he goes to catch the fruit, clasping the thrown object like a groxskin purse. He returns to the ground with his prize with a small 'thump'.

I grasp two more of the fruits before turning about, returning to my place beside Brocuss and Catherine, giving one of the fruits to her. I see Brocuss had already begun to peel away at the outer skin at the fruit, its small tendons holding on desperately as the fruit is ripped away. Moving his hand clockwise with his thumb into the grove, he begins to twist the fruit in his hand, the thumb working as an excellent tool to rip away the peel before it falls to the ground. After uttering a small prayer to the Emperor he begins to dig in with gusto, his teeth tearing away at the sticky fruit as Catherine and myself begin to peel our own fruits. As we finish peeling Brocuss looks up at the two of us, his morsel utterly devoured, a small smile parting his lips as his checks drip with small amounts of bright juice.

"Careful Brocuss, you're beginning to remind me of a Tyranid." I say, mirth swirling in my deep voice. We share a laugh, something that comes few and far between now a days, and we even manage to make Catherine smile, a feat almost unheard of. I dig into the fruit alongside her, the sweet nectar of the fruit splashing across my mouth as I clamp down upon my prey. The fruit is chewy, yet soft, slowly dividing as I begin to devour it bit by bit. Soon the fruit is no more, yet my stomach is not sated. I look towards Brocuss as I wipe my face with an armored fist.

"I say we each have another before we leave, I can also store a few of the things in my pack for latter if you wish." He says, slowly reaching around to grasp the pack on his back that lay partially full with the tools of his office.

"An excellent idea my friend, though be swift, I wish to ascend the waterfall over there so that we may find our bearings in this wonderful but no doubt dangerous place." I reply, turning round to Catherine, motioning with my hammer to lead a path towards the water. She turns, pulling forth her holy chainsword to brush aside the vines and plants. Our armored feet sink heavy into the sand grass around the pond, forging a path for Brocuss to catch up to. His footfalls file in behind us within a minute of our traverse, which is slowly but surely reaching round to the rise leading up to the waterfall.

We reach it within minutes, small animals scattering in our wake as we proceed to ascend the steep rock side of the waterfall. The water roared and splashes, slowly peppering us in a endless mist that is quite refreshing to the humidity of the jungle. Catherine and myself ascend first, making way for Brocuss, our armor protecting his robes from being soaked in the mist. Headway is slower than usually, mainly due to the fact that Brocuss has nothing to assist him in his climbing, such as power armor or sealed gloves with firm grips. He keeps a reasonable pace however, not wishing to fall behind, his determination is one of his greatest values, even for the task of a scribe.

As we reach the cusp of the waterfall, the sun bears down upon us, shining on our armor as Catherine and myself drag ourselves atop the fall to see the upper canopy of the jungle. Nearby a tree is disturbed, causing several birds of multiple colors to go into flight, their cries echoing out across the skyline. I slowly circle around as Catherine helps Brocuss up, my eyes laying upon the beautiful tops of the green trees, small glitters of light indicating several places such as these watering holes, and I find it amazing. Never in my Two hundred and sixty seven years of service have I ever seen anything like it.

The sun beams down, its light no longer obscured by the jungle below, causing both Catherine and myself painfully out of place with our solid black armor. I can already feel the temperature rising, and know that even this close to a water source that it would not be good to stay up here for longer than necessary. Though my locator is broken, the compass still works, same as the chronometer, which slowly moving towards our 16th hour Terran standard. I look down at my left gauntlet, hammer shadowing my face from the sun as I gaze down upon the device. The north lays pressed behind me, and as I look up to gaze at it, sun beating down upon my brow, I see a gigantic mountain range, its peaks reaching far above the clouds. To my west, and south all lie the continuation of the jungle to the horizon, save for the east, where the jungle is caught by a smaller mountain range than the one from the north, though just as far away.

"Look to the north comrade!" I speak aloud, pointing my free hand towards the mountains," Our destination is there. From the slopes of that mountain we shall be able to view our surroundings for miles on end." I say, the others following the direction of my hand. I step to the edge of the water, slowly dipping my hand in its rushing currents, raising the captured water to my mouth for a drink. The others do similar, before finishing their drink, causing me to raise back up and back pace towards the slope. "There is no time to be lost. Come swiftly my friends, for we have but a mere short hours to find another clearing. We must reach that mountain range within the seven days time." I call out, the others following my lead as we descend back into the jungle.


Author's Note: Praise the Emperor, I finally finished this, I'm terribly sorry for breaking my promise and will be admitting that our entire schedule has been knocked far off track, I will try to at least slam these out every ten to fifteen days for you guys who are reading my no doubt shitty work. Now thankfully, all our characters have been introduced (To some degree) and we will be moving onto the actual story instead of setting. Up next we return to Brother Drakken of the Black Templars.

As to what happen to me in these last two weeks, I simply had work, school, Nurgle's rot, and two near death experiences with very stupid people. As for what happens in my free time I have been trying to balance the story with my League play, and have recently become more active in the Long War: Planetside 2. I have also become a follower of Khorne, mainly due to the fact that in League I play some of the most brutal and battle hungry melee champs in the game. Also, my accuracy and kill potential has increased exponentially after I started chanting the Blood God's praises and offering him blood and skulls for the Skull Throne in all caps. Still Love Big E though. See you all relatively soon.