Author: Djibriel
{oOo}
'And the prophet spake, saying: "Frak this, for my faith is a shield proof against your blandishments".'
- Alem Mahat, The Book of Cain, Chapter IV, Verse XXI
There is a fringe sect on Tallarn that reveres Cain as a prophet of the Emperor and a living conduit for his Divine Will.
This sect came into being after a Tallarn soldier had a religious experience, after seeing Ciaphas Cain battle a Khorne Berserker... and then slay a demon of Slaanesh.
Naturally, you can imagine what an impact there was, when the news came in that Commissar Ciaphas Cain (Hero of the Imperium!) had come through for the Imperium yet again, and spectacularly, besides, by bringing back one of His Divine Daughters.
Alive. and in one piece.
And barely had that furor died down, when the stolen vid pics made their way onto the internet, with snippets of short, blurry pictures... that nevertheless showed, quite clearly, the way the noble Commissar proceeded to try to protect the Anima at every occasion, facing danger fearlessly to keep her out of harm's way.
...And when the final news came in that he'd 'squashed' a Bloodthirster before the Anima finished it off...
Well, that sect suddenly got a huge influx of converts, particularly when the priests from the 597th's news came in, that there were Hymns to be crafted in honor of Ciaphas Cain, loyal Saint of the holy Anima of Saturn.
{oOo}
Faith is a funny thing. Most people don't really notice it, but enough faith can change the Warp just as much as other emotions do, if it's in sufficient concentration. Cain certainly didn't notice, as he was deluged by enemies come to test their mettle against him and was frequently too distracter, or just plain terrified and running on adrenaline to care... but the tide of fate began to turn, little by little, as the faith of so many new converts and in most cases, soldiers under his command, began to have its own effects.
Small ones at first. A weapon comes to light, right when a convert of the sect needs it, a mechanism holding on just a few moments longer than it should have done under the specs of its construction to do just that bit more damage to the enemy in the hands of one of his men.
A moment of clarity when a soldier can take the shot that will save a life.
A few people squeezing their way past mortal danger by a fraction of a second.
{oOo}
AN: Another little piece set in Arkado's part of the Lovehammer 'verse~