Chapter 3–Welcome to your new life
Elias entered the cathedral of Khaine through the Warrior's Gate. Within was the massive central chamber of the cathedral where civilians were occasionally allowed in through the main gate. Six towering, ten meter high statues on fifteen meter pedestals flanked the rectangular room which she knew could not take up more than half the total volume of the cathedral, on one side stood Fuegan, Baharroth and Asurmen, on the other side stood Maugan Ra, Karandras and Jain Zar, all painted in the colours of their aspects.
Facing the door was the thirty meter statue of Khaine, rendered in a red and orange blend that made it appear it was made of magma, just as the true avatar of Khaine deep under the cathedral. The domed ceiling was covered in mosaics depicting the greatest battles of the phoenix lords: the battle of Lugganath, where it was said that Maugan Ra, Karandras and Asurmen banded together to beat back the ork warlord Gitsmasha and his seemingly endless horde and saved the craftworld, the battle of Hammerfell where all six arrived together for the last time to save the Swordwind from the combined might of six space marine chapters, and many others which Elias did not recognize.
In front of the statue of Khaine stood a dire avenger exarch who would inform them of the next step. Elias was one of four people in the cathedral, one of whom was walking towards the statue of Fuegan, behind which was the entrance to the fire dragon's area. She walked along the red, seemingly bloodstained carpet up to the exarch.
The exarch stood before them, gazing down at the three arrayed in front of him from the raised pulpit just before the statue of Khaine. His armour was splendid, a deep blue with a white helm, an elaborate yellow-and-purple crest and runes covering every inch of it. On his breast was attached his soul stone, a small red oval which glinted in the light coming in from the massive window above the main gate. Attached to his wrists were a pair of shuriken catapults, and on his belt was sheathed a long knife.
His eyes concealed behind the harsh red glow of his eyepieces, he addressed Elias and her fellows.
"Welcome," he began, his clear, strong voice echoing throughout the chamber, "You have all been accepted by the warlocks, yes?"
"We have!" responded the trainees, Elias included, and the exarch continued on, "Then welcome to the cathedral of Khaine. Tomorrow, you shall take your vows here. Until then, you will dwell in the quarters of the uninitiated. You are not to speak with the novices until you have been initiated. You are not to enter the warrior shrines. You are not to fight each other," he said, eying each of them, "until you have been initiated. You are not to leave the cathedral lest you leave the path of the warrior. Find your quarters, find your new belongings, and welcome to your new life," he finished, sounding as if he had delivered this spiel a thousand times before.
As she approached the door to the novice area, which was on the left of the statue of Khaine, Elias took stock of the other novices. One was a large, strapping man with huge hands and a round face. He walked clumsily, however, and seemed none too quick. The other was a tall, gangly man who moved with poise and grace. As she took stock of them, she realized they were taking stock of each other too. When the tall one looked at her, he made a contemptuous expression, but the large one raised an eyebrow and asked "Hello. I'm Khail. Who are you?" in a straightforward, honest-sounding voice.
Elias responded "Elias Miranda," and the other one "I'm Seth," with an inflexion that implied nobility, or at least superiority, "So Elias. I guess we just lost a major battle if they're that desperate for new aspect warriors," Elias rolled her eyes. She didn't have to take this from him. Then again, she thought, I'm hardly warrior material. Maybe they really are desperate for recruits?
The three continued, through the door and into a large dormitory. Within were some twenty other eldar, for the most part sitting around, talking, playing cards or meditating. Elias recognized one, Reyela, but she there was nothing but mild distaste between her and Reyela and she thus kept her distance, instead wandering the red-walled room to find a bunk. She sat there on the bottom bunk, trying to meditate as she had been taught to do since before she could remember, to clear her mind of her worry, her bitterness, and the memory of Toryll. But her memories tormented her hour after hour, and eventually her meditation turned to rumination, and then to brooding, and finally to sleep.
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Elias was no great dancer. Nonetheless this night had been one of the best of her life. She was across from Toryll, who was clad in garments which seemed to shift under Elias' gaze, all she could remember was that it was metallic, it was elegant, and she wouldn't be wearing it by the end of the night.
They danced together, lively and unrestrained this one day of the year: the festival of Isha. The whole craftworld was in an uproar of activity, and Toryll had invited Elias to this place for a dance and Elias, by now quite smitten with her, had come eagerly, forgetting that she hadn't danced in years.
Nonetheless, despite a few slip-ups, they had enjoyed themselves as the dance grew faster. In, out, around, back, spinning faster and faster, breaking away, coming back together, they'd gotten quite the feel for each other. Toryll broke contact with one hand and spun out of Elias' embrace in her enchanting manner, then her head jerked back and she fell, blood spurting from bulletholes riddling her body.
Elias, shocked, collapsed down, cupped Toryll's face in her hands, and choked out "No! Please, don't leave me!"
But it was not Toryll who lay there, but the human woman Elias had killed, who pushed her off with the stump that had once been her wrist. Then she spoke to Elias with hate flowing from her voice, "Hah! You think you know pain? Did you know I had a husband? I had two beautiful children who'll never see me again, thanks to you. Oh right, they're dead too. Your ilk murdered my children, and now you feel sorry for your self cause your girlfriend got shot up? Look up! See what sympathy you deserve!"
Elias looked up, saw three humans point automatic rifles at her, screamed, and was gunned down.
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Elias awoke in a cold sweat. She didn't remember falling asleep and looking around could tell it was still nighttime. None save her were awake, and she tried for hours to get back to sleep, eventually falling into a deep, dreamless slumber.
Awaking, she saw that the others had gotten up too. She noticed that there was not much to do in this room: there was a journal-pad and stylus in her footlocker, a few tables, games of chance and logic, some exercise equipment, but otherwise not much to do in this dormitory which was to be their home for the next couple days.
She sat down at a table and set up domka-mei. Domka-mei was a complex game with a great deal of strategy involved and no luck. Her luck had been less than amazing lately and she wanted something which didn't involve it. The game involved two players and twelve different pieces: guardians, who had very limited moves, dire avengers, who moved in simple, straight lines, shining spears, who could move extremely far, the autarch who could move like any three pieces other than the crimson hunter (decided on at the beginning of the game) and the farseer, who all the other pieces acted to protect or to threaten, as well as others.
It was a game that took years to even learn how to play half-decently, never mind master it. But Elias enjoyed it, and waited there till after a minute or two a man sat down in front of her. He was tall, lithe and handsome, with long blond hair, a smooth, attractive face and big blue eyes. He wore a smug smile which put Elias off but she decided not to let that bug her. She at least had the discipline to do that, even now.
"Were you waiting for someone in particular?" he asked, and his tone was also something Elias found off-putting, as if he knew something she didn't and was very proud of it. "No," responded Elias, "I'm just waiting for an opponent," she finished, carefully not using the term partner. She wanted to beat someone or at least compete with them, not play with them. "Well," he responded, "you have one, I'm Eridas," he continued, "but what, might I ask, is a pretty girl like you doing in this barracks?"
What am I doing here? she wondered, I should be avoiding war, not seeking it out! I did my time, fought for the craftworld, why am I here? Plus, it's like he said. I'm a pretty little girl, not the kind of person you'd think would be a warrior…
"Hey," he inquired, "are you mute or something?" the joking tone in his voice caused Elias to snap "It's none of your business!" She slammed her card down where she'd ticked the boxes for warp spider, shining spear and striking scorpion for her autarch and make the first move: a bold, aggressive initiation with one of her guardians.
"Well," he said, mockingly putting on a tone of hurt and putting down a card with shining spear, fire dragon and dark reaper ticked on it, "then I suppose I ought to just play," and he made his first move: a more cautious guardian advance to her left.
She became somewhat more focused on the game, though she was still distracted and very annoyed with him. He was definitely not going easy on her, and was giving her a very hard time when she suddenly noticed pressure on her right thigh and, looking down, saw that he had his hand resting gently on it. She lowered her left hand, reached down, and, scowling, slowly plucked it off with all the distaste as one plucking off some irritating insect. Then she said "Keep your hands to yourself," and made her next move. "Ooh," he said, smiling mockingly, "I'm so so sorry," and made his move, putting her crimson hunter into a rather inescapable situation, even for a piece as mobile as it.
Six minutes later, she'd lost, though she'd known it ten turns in advance. He was very methodical, very cautious in his strategy. She challenged him to a rematch. "Let's make a wager," he offered with a grin on his face, "If I win, you have to kiss me on the cheek," scoffing, she replied "and if I win?"
"Well then, I suppose if you win you get the privilege of kissing me on the cheek!"
Elias sighed, rolled her eyes, and got up. She wasn't going to put up with this jerk any longer.
She sat down on her bunk, trying again to meditate as she'd been taught to do so many times, failing again. Then she heard a voice and opened her eyes. "Hey," looking up, she saw Eridas there and closed her eyes again, "I'm sorry 'bout that," he said apologetically, "I… I'd like to play a game against you when you're not… distracted and pissed off," she looked up, half-smiled, and ready to give this Eridas person another chance, said "You're on."
This time she played less aggressively. She was in fact pretty good at this game, and could tell he was a cautious player, and so she wasn't afraid to plan ahead several moves in advance. Of course, she wasn't nearly as good as Toryll had been, but nonetheless now that she was focusing solely on the game she managed to beat Eridas without much difficulty.
"Well," he conceded at the outset of the game, "I guess that's that then. Nice use of the striking scorpion shining spear combination there, by the way," she smiled smugly and responded "Thank you. I do things better when it's professional, you see," he nodded slowly and departed, heading towards the exercise equipment.
Elias sat there for a moment, and Seth walked past, then stopped. He looked at the board, looked up at her, and said somewhat incredulously "Wow. You actually beat Eridas at… anything. That's the last time though, so savour it," and Seth (who she was now thinking was even worse than Eridas) strode off to talk with someone, Elias really didn't care who. She was ticked off and frustrated. When, she wondered, did I start with all these mood swings? I used to not let people get to me, but now? I let a guy spoil my victory with one snide remark!
Waiting there for quite some time, Elias eventually got up and challenged some random woman to a game, and the other woman accepted shyly, saying "Al-alright," and got up off her bunk, following Elias to the table. "I'm Elias," she said, "Who are you?" the woman bit her lips, then said "I'm– I'm Niana"
Niana was tall, graceful-looking, and fair, with long, tied back brown hair and striking green eyes which were perpetually downcast.
She played like someone who had little idea what she was doing, and within six moves Elias had won. Niana then asked, quite quietly, if Elias could teach her how to do that.
So, for quite some time, Elias taught Niana what she knew; how pieces interacted, good opening moves, and most of all how to read your opponent. After a couple hours, Niana was… about as good as she'd been before, though Elias assured her that this game took years to learn how to play well and that she was making progress.
Food was brought in: synthesized semi-organic protein rations made to taste like once-living material, served with a packet of mineral-enriched water. They looked like small, flabby white bricks wrapped in a hard wax exterior. The servitor explained to them that these were field rations and they needed to get used to them. Elias ate hers quickly, wanting to get it down as quickly as possible for the texture was awful. She washed it down, and then got back to teaching Niana, thoroughly hoping she wouldn't have to subsist on that protein stuff permanently.
Eventually, after what seemed to be an eternity, that first day ended. She'd played several games with the others and then spent a some time actually meditating successfully (It seemed her time with Niana had calmed her nerves a bit).
Her sleep was fretful, and she awoke in the middle of the night multiple times, though she had no recollection of what came to pass that night in the twilight realm of the dreaming. The next day, she got up along with the others and made ready: it was time for initiation!