Third Chapter
The Rats
The coachman's eyes widened in shock and he tried to get his horses and carriage of the road, as a big purple red portal opened in the middle of the street.
"Magic! Get out of the way!"
One of the four horseman yelled, turning his horse a moment too late, grabbed by the warp portal his cries echo over the empty street for a moment, the other riders panicking and riding away as fast as they can, from the foul place of magic.
Inside the carriage an elderly matron was holding close to young baroness, whose face was young and terribly pale as she heard the cries of the unlucky rider.
"Calm down baroness…", she sighed mentally at the character of Casadei's new baroness, this child was just to easily scared…but who could say anything about that? After all she's the last one of her family, the war with the Northlings and the cleansing thanks to their gracious emperor Emhyr var Emreis, Deithwen Addan yn Carn aep Morvudd own secret service.
Just a short distance away the Rats, were looking at the occurrence watchfully.
Iskra's ears twitched uncomfortably as the elven blood in her veins, seemed to react to the hostile purple and red hole in mid air, holding close to Giselher, who watched it with hard eyes: unsure if their ambush should still take place or if they should give up.
Kayleight was grinning his most nasty smile, hearing the death cries of the rider, as he was pulled in the warp and torn to pieces, while Asse watched this with see able malaise, tugging on his studded black leather jacket nervously.
Reef meanwhile only whistled shortly and sneezed loudly, the last dose of fisstech starting to show its effects.
But the strongest reaction showed the young Falka, burying her fair head in the arms of Mistle, who hold the younger girl close to her and brushed through her hair.
"What is it Falka? Do you know something like that?"
Mistle asked carefully, feeling the eyes of the other Rats focused on her lovely Falka, each equally clueless about this…thing.
Ciri felt frustration and fear, she could hear small voices whisper in her head, and in the flickering warp gate ghostly faces appeared, their expressions distorted into faces of pain and agony, before getting swalled by the purple waves again.
Just before the portal spit out 561-103-083, who landed on the dusty road, the grey dirt sticking to the green gore that indicated her brief meeting with the unholy servants of Nurgle.
Right after this the portal dissipated, leaving the single guardsmen, who slowly staggered onto her legs. Hands blindly searching on the floor around 561-103-083 before they found her lasgun, closing themselves around this so familiar object, holding close to it, while 561-103-083 still tried to adjust her gaze, the sudden light blinding her after the short exposure in the warp, which still sent shivers down her spine.
The coachmen let out a shrill cry as he saw, what could only be described as a demonic monster, a trunk instead of a nose and ghostly glasslike openings instead of eyes that stared at him. Jumping down from the coach box he made his way into the forest, cursing that nothing the baroness servants could do, would be more horrible than getting into the grip of this demon.
561-103-083 watched the civilians escape with lukewarmness, already used to the fearful reputation her kin seemed to have built up with every imperial citizen who she met until now. Sighing she let her eyes wander over the landscape, trees and a small river, surely not the forge world anymore, even the sky was blue and the air seemed clean, if something would force her to take of her rebreather that was good to know.
The Rats stared at this…thing…with wide opened eyes; seeming vaguely human it wore some sort of uniform, having a helmet but missing the usual breastplate or at least some studded leather jacket, only wearing some sort of heavy coat.
A peasant maybe? A northling?
Unlikely, they looked at the long crossbow the soldier was holding, the usually end of it formed like a big tube and below the long crossbows main body, which was missing the arms to pull back the string for the bolt, was attached some sort of short blade or dagger.
None of the Rats had seen anything like this strange thing before, most likely it was a weapon, but what for one?
Giselher snarled and raised his sword shrugging towards the other Rats;
"Let's see what or who this is!"
He cried out before galloping steadily towards the carriage, carefully making a bow around the strange figure, facing its back as the other Rats circled it, raising their swords to jump on it if needed, Iskra already smiling fiery while Falka seemed to be joyful again, thanks to the prospect of getting to kill someone.
561-103-083 hold her Lucius lasgun relaxed, humans.
The one fussy with jewelry and with bright almond-shaped eyes seemed to have slightly pointy ears, reminding her of a elder, but some flaws on her skin already showed she wasn't one of this foul Xenos.
"Where is the next imperial space port?"
The Rats where taken back by the silent, emotionless voice that talked to them in some unknown language. Looking closer they saw the soldier was wearing some kind of mask, tired looking eyes could be seen through two glass lenses.
Asse rode closer to the soldier, his horse nostrils blowing against the mask.
She sighed annoyed, a feudal word, horses and swords.
Not that 561-103-083 didn't respect the Death Riders with their Krieg-horses and power sabres, but this…she stared at the wall of living flesh around her, the swords pointing at her uniform, being not sure herself how much attention it would offer.
"Holy Terra! … Emperor!...Imperial Guard!"
Maybe these keywords would make this savages react, they couldn't be ignorant of the Imperium of Man and the God-Emperors light.
Giselher looked wondering at Iskra, trying to make a sense out of what this unknown Soldier just said. "Your kin's language, Iskra?"
Iskra shrugged and swayed her dark, luxurious hair before licking her lips, addressing the unknown soldier, the carriage behind the group already long forgotten.
"Who are you? Where are you from? Can you understand the old tongue?"
561-103-083 smiled faintly at these words, old tongue? Common?
She laughed a bit before addressing the girl with the overburdened jewels, reminding her of herself when she was new in the opera and got the first few performance and was allowed to stand in the applause of the romanticist.
Iskra raised her eyebrow at this sudden sound. Was it a laugh just now?
It sounded more like the faint ring of a bell, but this dark gloomy soldier couldn't possibly… "Can you understand…"
She was interrupted by 561-103-083, who raised a hand and started in slow common: "Civilian…", or bandits how it looks, "Where can I find the next star port?"
The other Rats looked at Istra expectantly, who moved her lips silently trying to understand the strange pronouncing of the soldier, still failing to get some sense into the strangers words. "I'm not sure…"
Just as Istra started Reef sneezed again, gathering the angry stares from the others on him, as Mistle slapped him, looking back to Istra and nodding.
She took a deep breath: "This soldier is searching for a…port to the sky."
The Rats looked at the strange soldier, who was just standing there like a statue, only the raising of his chest, showing he was breathing and a living person.
While Giselher looked strangely thoughtful at these words, Kayleight was smiling nasty thinking of this like a strange joke, Asse not believing a word about this "port to the sky", Reef still somewhere in his dreamland of fisstech and Falka was holding hands with Mistle, both staring at the soldier taxing.
561-103-083 didn't mind the glances of the civilians…or hive gangsters, seeing how they were clothed and armed, she started to become wary of the carriage behind them, taking a step forward she headed for the carriage doors, hoping to find some useful feudal lord or similar to get off this backwater planet, that regarded common as "old language."
Kayleight glared angrily as the soldier suddenly moved towards him and Giselher, heading for the carriage behind him, from which he could only hear some whimpers. The other Rats reacted as the usually do, raising their swords and getting ready to cut down this black trooper as soon as possible.
Only that they missed the time for this, 561-103-083 already got hold of Kayleight's wrist after one step, pulling him out of the saddle easily, and stepping on his arm hearing a satisfying crepitation as he cried out in pain. Giselher's sword already flying towards her helmet bouncing of harmlessly from the plasteel letting the Rat's gasp for air for a moment, just as 561-103-083 aimed her lasgun at a stone next to the street, making a part of it burst and sending charred remains into the air, making the Rats eyes bulge in confusion and…fear, something they hadn't known yet.
Under her helmet 561-103-083 smiled for the first time in this new world, but of course the view of this savages staring at the power of a simple lasgun was quite funny to a Krieger.
"Damned son of a…"
Giselher pressed out between his clenched teeth, looking down at the dent in his sword blade and the charred stone, his eyes wandering to the smoking barrel of the strange mans crossbow.
He threw one hand up, gesturing the other Rats to stop, the strange soldier staring at his eyes through this damn expressionless mask.
561-103-083 nodded satisfied, the savages see the difference in weaponry now,
she turned back to the carriage, stepping of Kayleigh's most likely broken arm, not even flinching at his howls of pain, as she walked to the carriage, opening the door and saluting shortly, better safe than sorry.
The young baroness startled up as the carriage door was opened and a hellish black figure stared down at her with a smooth trunk instead of a month.
"DEMON!", she squealed out and the matron had to hold her firmly, so that the young baroness wouldn't loose her composure…even in her last moments.
But this worries were replaced for a moment by blank surprise as the demon thing …saluted….and even if it was strangely…alien, the gesture was recognizable for both of them, the young baroness calming down a little.
Roaming in the pockets of her greatcoat 561-103-083 found a small silver Aquila necklace, holding it out to the young girl, who seemed like a normal noble girl on a feudal world, scared, whiter skin than everyone else, uptight and prude with a black dress, closing up to her neck. "You heard of the Imperium of Man?"
Marie, young baroness of Casadei looked at her caretaker for a moment before gathering her courage and reaching out, taking the pendant with trembling hands and looking into the eyes of the…person? Soldier? What did he say?
561-103-083 shook her head disappointed and stepped back, the Aquila may be interesting for the girl, but she didn't knew its meaning. Turning around she moved to one of the horses which pulled the carriage, setting one free she jumped on top of it, slowly trying to get a feeling for the reins used on this world.
The Rats watched the strange soldier with caution Mistle and Ciri close together and their swords ready to swing a mill at him, Kayleigh being able to only glare angrily, his face grimaced in pain.
Looking at the knife eared girl from before 561-103-083 nodded:
"You will take me to the next star port.", in a tone, that gave no chance of saying no.
The Rats just looked shocked at this sentence, only Asse having a faint smile on his lips, looking at the lasgun with a hungry glare, Kayleigh having the same, but with a more murderous intent on the guns owner.
"The Emperor protects." 561-103-083 whispered sending a prayer to the Emperor.
And somewhere, orbiting a distant star, on the surface of Holy Terra, sitting in a golden Throne, the most powerful human psyker heard something…and laughed.