Path 2
Dark Reaper
The Neophyte
In silence Yaidev followed the Dark Reaper through one of the archways, leading away from the plaza, her eyes fixed on his back. It was dark and unwelcoming here and the path went straight, while only occasionally other smaller roads led to the sides, probably to the individual shrines of the Reapers. Knowing the fighting style of Saim-Hann, most were probably abandoned. Finally the warrior took one of them, which brought the pair to a bone coloured portal, two small lightstones throwing dim light upon it. The Dark Reaper's rune covered the portal's surface almost completely and then, without making a sound, it opened.
"Follow the path and don't stray or hesitate."
Yaidev stiffened. "You won't come with me?"
He shook his head. "I already have been admitted, but one day we'll meet again."
"What will I find there?"
"Your teacher." With those words he left her, disappearing in the twilight of the way they had come.
Her eyes returned to the portal and the darkness beyond it; strangely enough it was drawing her in. Briefly her gaze went down to the floor beneath her feet, only now seeing that another two runes proclaimed this shrines name: Singing Scythe. Taking one last deep breath, she walked in. The moment Yaidev had passed the portal it closed behind her as silently as it had opened. It wasn't completely dark though, as dim light could be seen further down the road, which was made of light grey gravel, crackling quietly under her steps. The walls were close, not even allowing two people to walk side by side. Soon she reached open space again, and soft light illuminated a great dome. From now on, the path took turns here and there, leading through woodland, surrounded by a red rock formation, going all the way along the walls and which almost reached the ceiling as it seemed. It reminded Yaidev more of a garden than a shrine of the war god.
She continued on, the gravel's crackling beneath her feet as the only sound accompanying her. Finally, in what appeared to be the center, there was a clearing with a circle made of sand, consisting of two colours, white and lack, two drops, intertwined. Yaidev stopped when her eyes fell upon a man sitting there, meditating, dressed like the warrior, who had brought her here, but with a sleeve-less black robe over his vestments, his light brown hair he kept in a tight knot on the top of his head. Yaidev waited for him to react, not being sure how to proceed. She was certain however that he was this shrine's Exarch.
He let her wait a few more minutes before he spoke, his voice quiet but firm. "Another soul has found its way into Khaine's embrace. Tell me your name, child."
"Yaidev, of the Stormriders." Yaidev tried to sound confident and mask the insecurity preying upon her consciousness. Never before had she been in the presence of an Exarch, as they only left their shrines in times of war, or when called for council.
"Whoever you were before you came to my shrine is of no relevance. You are now my student; that is all what matters."
"So you will teach me the ways of Maugan-Ra, to fight as one of his Reapers."
"The art of battle is but a small part of his teachings. More importantly I will show you control, which is why you have come in the first place. The eldar would not require the shrines as they do, were it not for the special dangers that lie in unleashed anger, and the wicked pleasure of bloodshed." He rose, the fine sand barely moving under the pressure of his feet, and for the first time he looked at her, his green eyes studying her in an objective manner. "I am Cadaith, Exarch of the Singing Scythe and your lectures will begin tonight."
He led her further through the forest, to a building imbedded in the red rock and several paces behind the tree line. Were it not for the door, which was a wine red curtain and the small circular windows, it could have merged completely with its surroundings. Her Exarch had her wait outside and return swiftly with neatly folded vestments, which he handed to her. "Until you have learned to conceal your rage, you must remain on these grounds, you will train and sleep beneath the trees. Now, don yourself with our colours; I will set aside your garments for the day you will leave for another Path."
Covered by the shadows of the trees, she put on the black of the Reapers, noticing right away how heavy they were compared to her usual clothes. Especially shoulders, as well as the elbows and knees had extra layers. They were probably but a fraction of the armour she would one day wear. She let her gaze wander over herself: boots, pants and jacket all in black and a bone-coloured belt around her waist. Earlier she had seen that the Dark Reapers' rune was printed on the back, same colour as the belt.
Finished, Yaidev returned to Cadaith, who had been waiting patiently at the rock formation. He looked upon her and nodded. "Have you climbed before, neophyte?"
…
Pain rushed through her hands into her brain, as warm blood dripped through the cuts at the palms of her hands. Her soft hands, not used to heavy labour, could not long withstand the cool rock she was now climbing; everything else on Saim-Hann was smooth wraithbone, leaving her skin without protection. From the ground, it hadn't looked so high, but it seemed an eternity since she'd started her exercise. Still Yaidev continued on: how far could it still be? Cadaith had reached the top some time ago and simply resumed his meditation as he waited for her; it looked like he was enjoying the small artificial breeze up there. Finally her hand touched upon the top and she pulled herself up.
"I trust this wasn't too tiring."
"Not at all, Exarch." Yaidev wasn't lying; her problems had come from the pain, not difficulty. "Though you made it look so simple."
"I have been living within this dome, since its creation: I know this rock like the back of my hand and have trained my body and mind just as long." His words sent a brief shiver through her spine. Even when he wasn't wearing the armour covered with the Spirit Stones of his predecessors, their personalities had made a deep impact on his. "Tell me: what do you know of the Dark Reapers?"
Yaidev folded her hands, running a thumb over one of the cuts as she spoke. "The Phoenix Lord Maugan-Ra founded the Aspect after being taught by Asurmen. They represent Khaine as the destroyer, they are one of the heaviest armoured and armed among the Aspects, bringing death from afar, as well as give support to their fellow warriors. Even heavy armoured enemies are not safe from their Reaper Launchers."
He nodded, remaining cross-legged on the cool stone. "Maugan-Ra taught us that even the mightiest and heaviest of weapons can be wielded with surgical precision. It will take you many cycles until you are allowed to hold the Reaper Launcher and you will learn to control your body, yet more importantly you will learn to don your war-mask."
"Will the war-mask bring peace to me and extinguish my rage?" Yaidev still felt like needing to destroy something and it concerned her deeply.
To her dismay, he shook his head. "You mistake suppressing for control. Your anger and passions allows you to do what is necessary, only unrestraint it will destroy you; physically or mentally. The state of mind known as the war-mask is a state of high discipline and focus for the purpose of war, but it only goes so far. Sometimes the thrill of battle is too much, and you begin to crave it."
"I thought the mask was to contain such feelings."
Exarch Cadaith chuckled, and it sounded chilling. "Would you think me an unchecked monster, otherwise? I am incapable of removing it, leaving me with constant pugnacity, always ready for battle. Other than common Aspect Warriors I also remember every battle I fought in, I remember the faces of those I killed and of course the excitement." He rose, and began to slowly circle her, like a predator its prey. "When an Eldar, who is not lost on this Path takes on his mask, he focuses all his feelings and attention towards the coming fight, he puts his rage to use. To remove it again means put aside memories, anything that could cause you guild or savage enjoyment. It will not however make you incapable to hate and bring you constant peace of mind; the lessons you learn here will help you to keep your rage in check, even after you have moved on. It is something you need to experience to fully understand and the journey is different for each of us." He stepped away from her to the rock's edge.
Several moments passed before quietly Yaidev raised another question. "What must I do to achieve this state of mind?"
Without turning around her answered her. "Embrace the darkness, lurking within us all…and then you must find out how to disassociate yourself from it again at will."
"Won't you show me?" She asked surprised. Was he not supposed to teach her?
"I can't; as I've said the process is different for everyone. I will put you under stress and train your body but I will also show to control every fibre, every muscle and to meditate. Essentially: I will give you the tools." More of a guide then, at least for now.
As it became night, he let her stretch for almost an hour. Tiny points of light shone across the dome's ceiling, imitating the stars outside, yet Yaidev paid no attention to them, her eyes closed, her body completely relaxed. Her mind was still restless, but she felt better than only a few hours ago. The coming cycles, would be exhausting and dangerous, yet somehow she looked forward to it. For the first time in her life, the prospect of being an Aspect Warrior did not trouble her.
She slept beneath a thin blanket under the trees; an unexpected new experience. Nirezah would certainly be amused once she learned about this. And Derahnim; first his own brother and now her had taken to the Aspect Shrines. Yaidev sighed, wondering how long she was to remain within this temple to Khaine. Warriors, who had mastered the war-mask, would sometimes leave it, but even Cadaith could not tell her how long it would take. She would need to be patient.
The dark figure of her Exarch appeared between the slender trunks. "It is time to rise, my student." He placed a bowl of fruit and pita next to her, the smell reminding her how hungry she actually was. After all, Yaidev hadn't eaten since last cycle's afternoon. "I'll await you at the clearing in fifteen minutes."
Last night she had folded her vestments and set them aside. Swiftly she put them back on and ate. She stopped in her chewing, when to her surprise she heard the singing of birds. It sounded truly harmonious and Yaidev suspected it was another means to calm the raging minds of warriors. When she was finished with all, Yaidev went back to the clearing, where Cadaith was expecting her.
"Before you are allowed to hold a weapon, we must strengthen your body and improve your control over yourself. No self-inflicted injury can be tolerated in battle, nothing can hinder your performance. Come with me." Obediently she followed him into the forest. The further they went the thicker it got, until she had to dodge twigs, and step over rocks. Only dimly now, the light shone through the leaves. "Here begins our obstacle-course, so to speak. Cross it, as fast as you can straight through. One day, I'll expect you to use nothing but your weight, momentum and feet, because in your hands you'll be holding a Reaper Launcher. Let me see how well you do the first time."
She briefly clenched her toes, within her boots and ran. With a jump she was over the first rock, a fallen tree trunk however was now blocking her way. She reached up for a branch, pulled her body over the tree and landed feet first behind it. Her feet however slipped on the surprisingly muddy ground though and she went down a slope, through little twigs that grew knee high. This day would certainly be filled with joy.
…
Hours later, Yaidev was standing on her hands, trying to hold perfectly still as ordered. The muscles in her arms and torso were trembling from the effort. She was breathing in through her nose and out of her mouth, feeling fine pearls of sweat running from her chin to her forehead. Blood was knocking against her skull as pressure gathered beneath the skin.
"Relax, child."
Yaidev suppressed a growl. She was bruised and parts of her clothing were torn from the vegetation. The entire day, Exarch Cadaith had made her run and climb, with pauses for meditation in between where he had taught her how to breath properly. By now she was able to calm her heartbeat and breathing almost twice as fast.
"No matter your physical conditions, your head must stay clear and focused. As I should not injure you too severely during your training, I must mimic possible trauma in other ways." He had explained. "Do you feel yourself getting dizzy? Maybe a little sick? Blood loss can do the same to you in a real fight." He let her continue for a few more minutes. "That will be enough."
She gave a light sigh of relief and directed her feet back to the ground. When she lifted her head, she could feel the blood rushing down, leaving her a bit off balance and dazed.
"Defend yourself."
Confused Yaidev looked at her Exarch, only to see a fist coming for her. In the last second she managed to doge it and stumbled backwards. He came after her. What followed was a series of rapid attacks, driving her further back, making her almost trip over a root. While she needed to use both arms to fend him off and to shift her entire body in order to avoid his strikes, the Exarch was only using his right arm. He kept up with her easily, his expression unmoved as usual, his breathing calm. Eventually he hit her left shoulder with surprising force. Yaidev hadn't figured he could be this strong without really trying and she was well aware that Cadaith was holding back. But she also had enough at this point. She sidestepped and launched a kick, the top of her foot going for his side. Effortlessly, he grabbed and held on to it.
"You actually tried to fight back." His other hand came down on her outstretched leg. Yaidev briefly cried out in pain at the impact, as she went to the ground, her hands holding on to her leg. If he hadn't let go, it would be broken now. "Not all my students tried that during their first time. Good." Was this how he showed approval? Isha protect her, if she actually succeeded at anything. "Go to the well and clean yourself up; we are done for today."
The following cycles continued in much the same manner, though after a week, Cadaith extended her unarmed combat training. For hours she would perform punches, kicks and blocking manoeuvres, usually while the Exarch himself was gone, assumedly tending to the other warriors in the shrine. Whenever they fought, she was humiliated badly and Yaidev was growing frustrated, wondering if she was improving at all.
She received her the first true indication that her training was going somewhere, when Cadaith joined her one morning, carrying two slender, curved blades, as long as her forearm. It was not the weapon she had expected. "The blade? Is a Reaper's place not to rain destruction upon the enemy from afar?"
He handed over one of the white daggers to her, which fitted perfectly into her hand and was light in weight, made of wraithbone, thankfully dull. "That it is, but your enemies will not be so kind, as to always remain in the distance to your convenience. Like all warriors, we too must learn to fight in melee. For that, the blade has to become an extension of your limbs, same as the Reaper Launcher." With a swift and elegant move he drew his own blade. "Don't expect to match the Banshee or the Scorpion, however. What we learn here is little more than basics to them, but it just might save your life." Yaidev merely nodded, and preformed a few swings with the blade, to get a better feeling for it. The blade was beautifully balanced, the movements coming to her very naturally. "Let us see how well you can handle it."
She barely had time to put the dagger between herself and the Exarch and upon contact he pulled his weapon away again to bring it around for another attack. Yaidev gritted her teeth in annoyance and frustration; she hated feeling so helpless, each of her steps being dictated by his attack. The blade came to cut open her abdomen horizontally and finally Yaidev saw an opportunity. With her own, she pushed his blade even further to the side, using his momentum to her advantage. She stepped forth, bringing her blade back, to stab it into his neck. Suddenly his free hand hit her by the wrist, essentially doing the same she's just done with his blade and leading it past him, her flank now exposed. The next thing she felt was the point of his blade against her back of the neck.
"You have two hands, child. Do not solely rely on your blade but use your free hand to deflect your opponent's attack." He explained to her. "However do not make the mistake of holding on; your enemy could use that to pull you into any direction he wants. The only exception is when deflecting upwards, in order to keep your enemy's blade above your head, as there he cannot use his entire bodyweight to overpower you." Yaidev simply nodded, already preparing herself for the next attack. "Again."
As soon as the word had passed his lips, he aimed a stab at her chest, as swift as a snake's bite. She deflect it to the side using her free hand, but when she tried to attack with her own blade he performed a similar move, leaving her front exposed and he delivered a powerful kick, sending her stumbling backwards. Yaidev coughed as the air was being pressed out of her lungs, and when she looked up again the Exarch was mere inches in front of her. The dagger in his hand lashed out, the side of the blade hitting her against the side of her head.
For a few moments it turned black before her eyes, and she felt a blow against her chin, sending her to the ground. Only slowly the dizziness left her, and Yaidev spat what blood that had gathered in her mouth out.
"You have gotten swifter, but you think too much." Cadaith spoke as her vision got clearer again. "In battle, there is no time to consider every move, so here you'll learn, until your body knows instinctively how to react appropriately to your opponent's attack. It is important that you trust your instincts."
"Will I not lose control, Exarch?" She sat up into an upright position, rubbing her hurting chin with a hand.
"I said trust your instincts, not lose control." He corrected her. "Your conscious thought must be ever present, not necessarily acting, but observing, stepping in when it becomes necessary. We are warriors, not berserks in blind bloodlust. Despite our eagerness for battle and the urge to kill, we must never act heedlessly." He smiled his cool smile. "And we are Dark Reapers; we are calm, we precise and we do not yield."
Derahnim was worried. For many cycles now Yaidev had vanished, and he had no doubt that the duel between her clan and the Wrathbringers had something to do with it. As he himself was not of any Wild Rider clan, he didn't know exactly what had happened and no Wild Rider would share such information with an outsider, and still…the assembly of the Stormriders at the Infinity Circuit told enough.
Now Derahnim was standing in front of Yaidev's apartment, not for the first time, hoping she had returned, but he had no such luck. His knocks and calls went unanswered and her whereabouts remained unknown. The poet sighed and decided to try the Infinity Circuit. Personally he disliked the method, after all the Circuit was filled with the souls of the dead and theoretically anyone with enough skill could peek into his mind once he had established the connection to the structure. Perhaps it was only paranoia on his part, a quirk, but now he needed to find her, find out if she was alright.
Something like a spark of electricity ran through his nerves, when he touched upon the Circuit. His mind was flooded with information, most he couldn't grasp, so he filtered them out, and focused on Yaidev. His concern increased when she was nowhere to be found. Why couldn't he sense her? He focused harder and finally caught a glimpse, like a breeze on his mind. Swiftly he guided his own mind through the Circuit, following the trace in the rivers of energy, running through the Craftworld like blood in within a body. Then he stopped.
The trace had led him to a part of the Craftworld, he'd never ventured to before, neither physically nor in spirit. It was like standing in front of a burning forge, the fires of Keala Mensha Khaine seeping from his temple into the Circuit, touching upon Derahnim's mind. He was not a warrior, no uncontrollable hate burned through his veins, no need for destruction blinded his mind and so the god's touch was painful to him. Quickly the poet retreated, just far enough to avoid the fires, but he knew what this meant. Yaidev found herself in Khaine's embrace, as one of his disciples.
Shocked by this revelation, he left the Circuit. How could she? What had happened during that duel that it had driven her to seek bloodshed? Derahnim ran his finger down over his temples, over the bridge of his nose until he placed them lightly at his lips. He'd known her for years, and Yaidev was not a violent person, despite her family. He also knew there was nothing he could do to help her. Only wait, and hope she would one day leave the Path of the Warrior again and not perish on the battlefield or succumb to this savageness, they each carried within.
Yaidev didn't count the cycles that had passed since her arrival, with all feeling the same to her, but her frustration faded a little away with time. The training grew easier, her muscles stronger, and during sparring her instincts took more and more over; no longer did Yaidev need to consider her every option, think about where to attack, how best to block, or when to feint. While still no match for her Exarch, the pace of their duels had picked up dramatically.
One day Cadaith showed up unarmed at the clearing. "It is time for a brief introduction of our most common enemies." He announced, and Yaidev saw a blue gem in his hands, a bit larger than his palm. "As a Dark Reaper, you not only require flawless aim, but you must also know what and where to aim at."
Cadaith placed the gem on the ground and took a step back. It began to glow, and projected a three-dimensional hologram above itself. Yaidev immediately saw that it was a human. From all alien races they looked the closest to Eldar, but rough and unrefined, some downright ugly. Though she'd never seen one in person, she'd seen pictures, especially of the so-called Imperial Guard and this hologram was as well.
"This is a live-sized model, of a common Imperial soldier." The Exarch explained. Yaidev walked around it, noticing that she was easily a head taller, likely more; she could've comfortably rested her chin on his helmet. "The Reaper's Launcher cuts right through their pitiful armour and their las weapons can usually not penetrate ours. There are some exceptions of course, a variation they call 'Hellgun' that is actually a threat to us, but mostly issued only to higher ranks. As a rule you will first direct your fire at their commanders, to throw them into disarray." The hologram changed a few times, going through several human ranks, including the sergeant and the commissar. The last, Yaidev noted, would be among the easiest to identify; the coat and the hat were quite the giveaway.
"More problematic are the Imperial Space Marines." The hologram changed into a heavily armoured warrior, with massive shoulder guards, which frankly should hinder his movements somewhat. Other than with the normal human, Yaidev reached only to his chin or maybe nose; it was difficult to tell with the helmet hiding the face. So many stories she'd heard about them; no other human force was considered as dangerous as them. Since Eldar did not seek the open fight, the Imperial Guard was usually not engaged, but outmanoeuvred and their Navy commonly only fought when a Craft- or Maiden World was directly threatened.
"While our weapons are capable to penetrate their armour, our shots are often deflected to none vital areas. When you aim at one, you'd be best advice to aim at the abdominal region." He pointed at the region between the chest piece and hips, dominated by something that looked like several large cables. "The layers there may be thick, but hardly a problem for the Launcher. A good shot can actually tear a Space Marine apart." He gave a murderous smile, as he spoke that last sentence. "They are faster and stronger than other humans, despite this bulky shell, they call armour. Should one try and engage you in close combat, do not attempt to fight; your blade is not long enough to severely injure him and superficial wounds heal quickly. Dodge and trust that one of your siblings will take care of it; a Reaper never fights alone, nor does he or she deviate from the troope."
"Comforting to know, Exarch." Yaidev remarked, the cynicism in her voice very downplayed. If Cadaith had heard it, he ignored it and went on.
At the clearing Cadaith had placed five dummies made of wraithbone, in stature similar to an Eldar, though lacking features. Yaidev had turned her back to them, a Shuriken Pistol in her right hand and looked at the Exarch in front of her. He had assigned numbers to the dummies and gave her a combination of them and the place where he wanted them shot. She then had to turn around and do as he'd instructed as swiftly as possible. Already a dozen shuriken stuck deep in the wraithbone and in the past weeks, she done this exercise before.
"3: throat, 5: left thigh, 2: left chest, 1: forehead, 4: abdomen."
She spun around and fired her weapon five times. All hit. With each turn she got faster, more precise as she got used to her weapon and she hardly needed to aim anymore; her eyes simply fixed on the target and the sharp discs found it without fail.
"Well done." Cadaith complimented her. "It would seem that a static target proves no challenge anymore."
Yaidev ignored the hint mockery in his voice. "Exarch, I've been meaning to ask: when will I be trained with Reaper Launcher?"
"When you are ready." He plainly stated. "Once you have donned your war-mask for the first time."
"When will I know that I have?"
"I will know. But remember that rage, anger and disappointment brought you to Khaine; through them you will master the mask." Yaidev simply nodded. "One more time. 2: eyes, 1: heart, 5: right arm, 3: right lower leg, 4: mouth."
Face first Yaidev landed in the mud. So many cycles, so little progress. That day they were training in the dense forest, hand-to-hand and with dagger. Evening was approaching, the light in the shrine's dome dimming, making it even darker between the trees. As always she was in the defensive and had stumbled over one of the countless roots in the undergrowth. Swiftly she turned onto her back, just in time to see the Exarch following her, leaping over the root, landing next to her, dagger aiming for her chest. She needed to get away and did a cartwheel, her feet barely missing Cadaith's chin.
As soon as she stood on her feet again, Yaidev had to block a strike from above, stopping it inches from her head. His free hand took her by the wrist, twisting it, forcing her to turn her back to him. Next thing she felt was the wraithbone blade at her throat. "You still think too much." He pushed her away from him and she caught herself at a tree, a hand on the trunk to stabilize herself. "It will cost you precious seconds, maybe your life in a real battle. Do you wish to end like your aunt Shadira?"
For a moment Yaidev was rendered speechless. How dare he bring her death into this? She cried out in rage, throwing herself at the Exarch. He merely frowned, blocking her rash assault, taking hold of her arm once more, leading her past him. "Disappointing." And the hilt of his dagger was slammed against the back of her head. Once more she was lying flat on her stomach, gritting her teeth, clawing at the ground with her left hand, the right clenching her weapon tightly.
There was hardly a single clear thought in her head, only anger, only despair. Was that all she was; a disappointment? To her clan, who rejected her for walking the Path of the Poet, instead of joining them in battle as a Wild Rider? To her father and mother, who had wanted her to lead the Stormriders one day? Oh, he had tried to teach her the art of warfare, but ceased to continue once she'd become a poet. He had hardly ever talked to her since then and when he had, he'd usually treated her as if she wasn't his daughter. Damn his pride, damn the pride of the Riders and their set ways.
And now Exarch Cadaith, he who should have taught her to control her anger, use it, but only added fuel to the fire ranging inside her. So, she disappointed him as well? Her hate did not make her a better warrior; it made her predictable, sloppy, savage. Her hate was of no use to her.
A hot tear ran from her eyes. No, she would not give up just yet. She would show him that she was a worthy student that she could master the Reaper's teachings. And when she was done, she would match the Riders of her clan; no longer would they be able to look at her with scorn and arrogance. Suddenly she had a better thought. Why waste her anger, her strength on them? She was an adult and upon her return from the shrine a seasoned warrior. She didn't need her clan anymore; she was free to live as she chose. Yes, Yaidev could renounce her clan, title and family name, after all they meant so little to her now. Were not Derahnim and Nirezah, who had always supported her, more family than the Stormriders had ever been?
Yaidev would fight, she would live and she would move on.
Slowly she stood, at first her back towards Cadaith, who was still waiting for her. She felt different. Her rage was washed away, replaced by calmness. She was no longer frantic, but focused…and she attacked. His moves, while swift she could anticipate now, no…she just knew how to deflect them properly, her body reacting as fast as her eyes could track his moves and feints. Suddenly she stepped forth, deflecting a strike with her free hand. He tried to stop her blade, but she dodged, lowering herself. Yaidev kicked his legs away, taking him by surprise. Before he quite knew what had happened, she was on top of him, her blade at his throat, her hand, pinning his with the dagger to the ground.
There was a moment of silence. "Victory is yours." He simply stated, showing a ghost of a smile. Yaidev blinked surprised, a little disoriented and perplexed, as if she just awoke from a trance and got back to her feet, allowing the Exarch to stand up as well. "You have found your war-mask." Cadaith spoke; there was something almost solemnly in his voice. "Come, it his time you meet your brothers."
Yaidev stared at him for a while, but then nodded. She took her mud covered dagger, cleaning it with the clothes she was wearing, before putting it back into its sheath. Cadaith walked away, trusting his student to follow him and she did. Her war-mask. Her calmness, her thoughts being so focused and…pure; was that the state of mind she had strived for all this time?
She felt a little excitement, curious even, as she followed her Exarch into the building, behind the heavy deep red curtains. It was a dark, circular, empty hall Yaidev found herself in, darker then the forest outside, with several doors leading away from it. Yaidev assumed one was leading the armoury and at least one other to the dormitory. White runes were written upon the walls, prayers to Khaine, mantras of the Dark Reapers. Cadaith led her to a third door, warm light shining from it into the hall. With a simple wave of her hand he told her to enter. Once more she nodded and the Exarch disappeared in the shadows of his shrine. Yaidev took a deep breath and entered.
This room too was circular, carved into the same red rock as the hall, but smaller. Lightstones along the wall illuminated it with warm, yet dimmed light. At the center three men were sitting on large cushions around a low table on which glasses and a bowl with fruit stood. Until Yaidev had entered, they had conversed with one another, but had stopped upon her arrival. Now they looked at her. There was nothing hostile in their eyes, if anything it was neutral. Yaidev recognized one of them, the Reaper, who had brought her to the shrine, the one with the short black hair and the stern, dark green eyes. It felt like it had been ages ago.
"Yaidev of the Stormriders, is it not?" There was a smile on his lips as he spoke and he rose to welcome her properly. "It seems I can finally call you sister." He brought right fist up to his left upper chest, right on the clavicle, and bowed.
"You have never told me your name, brother." She replied after she'd returned the gesture.
"I am known as Felanwé, and these are Maldorahn." The one with blond hair bowed his head politely. "And Ilthaldir." The other bowed as well and she returned the customary gesture.
"We are pleased to have another join our ranks." Maldorahn spoke, smiling now too, offering her one of the cushions with a gesture. "So few on Saim-Hann find their way to the teachings of Maugan-Ra; they only desire to be the first in battle, easily forgetting however that without us, their recklessness would have often become their undoing."
"You think that little of our fellow warriors?" She asked him, as she and Felanwé sat down.
Maldorahn shook his head. "Not of their skill or philosophies, but merely the way they implement it." He explained, and Yaidev did not reply; she'd never seen the other Aspect Warriors in battle, how could she judge them?
Ilthaldir chuckled briefly. "Saim-Hann is known for its fast attacks; if they could, they would have us riding on Jetbikes into battle as well."
"Indeed; it seems our kin believes we would only slow them down." There was disdain in Maldorahn's voice. "So many Shining Spears and Swooping hawks; is there no patience left?" He asked rhetorically.
"Maybe not in their hearts, but in ours, brother." Felanwé encouraged him, smiling slightly once more. "We very well may be the outsiders among the Aspect Warriors on our Craftworld, but we are of purpose and when the time for war comes again, we'll remind the other Aspects of that."
Ever since that cycle, Yaidev trained alongside her brothers. Meditating and stretching every muscle group in the morning, training with the blade until noon. During the afternoon they would train with their Reaper Launchers, before they finished the day with hand-to-hand combat against each other, or various tasks in the garden around their home, often obstacle courses in full armour. By now Yaidev had received her own amour and weapon.
Cadaith had woken her up before everyone else on the morning following her first donning of her war mask. He'd taken her to the armoury, where he'd presented her with several heavy suits, all in the black of the Reapers, all having a red gem on their left chest, a small compartment containing parts of the suit's technical systems. On each tabard two runes, not those of the Dark Reapers, but of the shrine itself, proclaiming its name. Yet all suits had their own variations. "Choose whichever one you like best; it will be yours until you leave the shrine." Some were very basic and plain, the countless plates of the armour bare of any decoration, but as Yaidev walked along the row, she came across one, where the chest was additionally covered with thin black strips. Despite having the same colour as the rest of the armour, it gave the impression of a ribcage. It had a morbid elegance and beauty to it.
"This one will suit me well." She said, and the Exarch behind her nodded.
"Then you'll require a helmet."
She turned around, and only now spotted a long shelf, carved into the stone, on which several helmets had been placed upon, several skull-like masks now looking at her with dark, lifeless red eyes, the rune of the Reapers on their foreheads; Dralith, the mark of Maugan-Ra . Each had a long, high ponytail made of wine red, long hair. Once more she regarded them all before picking one, a helmet on which someone had drawn razor sharp teeth, almost slender fangs.
"Now that you have chosen your war gear, you must wear it for the first time, allowing it to attune to your body shape and spirit. Only then can you carry the Reaper Launcher, as you will link your helmet and mind with that weapon. If one piece is out of alignment, it could render you useless in battle." He stepped into the center of the armoury, having placed Yaidev's new armour on a wine red mat in front of him. When she placed her helmet next to it and took her place on the mat, he continued. "As you don it, I will say the mantra, a variation of the one all Aspect Warriors of Saim-Hann speak as they prepare for battle. You will repeat every word without fail and the next time you speak it, you will have learned to don your war-mask at the same time. Kneel, Yaidev, and remove your robes."
The young Reaper got on her knees and stripped off the dark clothes, until she wore only her under garments and her Spirit Stone around her neck. As she took the first pieces of armour, those for her legs, Cadaith spoke anew, and she repeated.
"We give our blood, as we are called for war."
The armour felt like a second layer of skin, lighter than she had expected, and she sensed it shifting to suit her shape. The nerves in her legs prickled a little as the psycho-sensitive bioplastic plates of the synthetic bodysuit took their final place.
"With peace broken, only war remains."
Next came the boots, fitted with stabilizers and clamps to secure the Dark Reaper to the ground, when he or she absorbed recoil, and needed to maintain a steady firing position.
"We clad ourselves for battle, embraced by Khaine's iron skin, his fire burns within."
Yaidev slipped into the plates protecting her chest, each clinging tightly but comfortably to her body. The essential Spirit Stone was placed between two overlapping plates for its protection.
"We bear war's dark burdens upon our shoulders, unyielding, freed of doubt or fear."
She put on the gloves, and for the first time she moved in her armour. Despite it looking so heavy it was light to wear and the plates shifted and morphed their shapes in accordance with her movements. She would have excellent mobility in battle.
"We are collected, merciless, precise, for we are death. Let Khaine's gift guide us."
Finally Yaidev put on the helmet. It came to life, the lenses glowing in a menacing red. Runes indicated her own physical condition and the sensors of her targeting system searched for possible prey.
"Rise, Yaidev; a Dark Reaper of the Singing Scythe."