Chapter 4–Forged from fire
All the novices filed out into the main chamber at the sound of a gong. Sitting in the pews benches, they watched as a dire avenger exarch recited Asurmen's speech to Biel-Tan at the birth of the swordwind, nearly ten thousand years ago.
"The stars once lived and died at our command. Since our fall, our aspect warriors have defended the craftworlds, but now that the upstart mon-keigh have risen up that is no longer enough! Of all the craftworlds, Biel-Tan has been the most faithful in upholding the teachings of the disciples of Khaela Mansha Khaine, and so shall you be the instrument of our empire's rebirth!" as he spoke, he reminded the listeners of a time when the Phoenix Lords had been charismatic leaders, rather than stone-faced watchers, of a time when the empire's rebirth had truly seemed something which non-farseers might see within their lifetimes. Now that dream was no longer so sure, that beacon of hope not nearly so bright, yet they still saw it, still clung to it.
For the eldar of Biel-Tan, who had held this torch for nigh ten thousand years of slow decline after their meteoric rise at the outset of Asurmen's crusade, who had watched as one by one, every other craftworld had turned their backs on them, this dream was all they had left to, as a culture, keep them going.
The exarch continued, "The mon-keigh have a new leader and a new elite army, one which dwarfs any the aspect warriors have faced! In the face of these new warriors, we must have an elite army of our own, unstoppable, resolute, and wholly committed to the re-creation of the empire! They shall be forged in fire, they shall fear no foe, they shall never stop fighting till the empire, like the mighty phoenix, rises anew! They shall set upon the foe with a fury unknown since the rage of mighty Khaine! They shall be the Swordwind, and theirs shall be the fury of the stars!"
A cheer rose up, some because they were stirred, others because it was simply the thing to do. Elias was not really sure which group she belonged to.
The exarch continued, his voice echoing in the great chamber, "You are the next generation of the Swordwind. For ten thousand years we have done battle, and become feared across the length and breadth of the galaxy by all who face us. This is because we have remembered the old ways! While other craftworlds have grown soft, we have never forgotten that a warrior must be forged from fire! That they must be destroyed and reborn like the phoenix itself! And so, welcome to the fire! Welcome to the first warrior trial!"
Everyone was stunned. No-one said anything about the warrior trials starting yet; today was supposed to just be initiation! But now the exarch was speaking again, urging all of them to follow him as aspect warriors emerged from their shrines to take the confused pre-novices into a door built into the statue of Khaine itself.
The room before her and the other trainees was something out of a nightmare. It was a deep burning read and a bright blazing orange, dozens of chains hung from the ceiling, there was a large, primitive pulley mechanism attached to the chains and in the centre there was the brass face of Khaine, it's great maw gaping open as if to swallow any who fell into it. four symbols were arrayed in a diamond around the maw, symbols of the fire dragon aspect.
Within were three fire dragons and an exarch, their armours matching the room around them. The exarch surveyed the recruits, then loudly said "Welcome! Welcome to the first of the warrior trials: the Baptism of Fire! After you have passed, you can be initiated and finally don the title of novice and take your first steps along the warrior path!" He carried a large sphere in both hands which seemed to emit an eery glow, and as he spoke it seemed to pulse with energy.
The warriors walked to each of the glyphs.. The exarch placed the pulsing orb in a slot at the centre of the maw, and as he left it and took his place at the glyph nearest the trainees a great fire erupted within the maw.
The blazing inferno in front of them cast a new, more fierce light over the room, it's tendrils lashing out at the trainees but falling short as it writhed, seemingly wanting to devour every one of them in fiery anticipation! The heat was scorching, and the trainees as one took a step back. The exarch turned to face them, and commanded "You are to walk to the other side, and meet up with my second-in-command, Jael. You are not to call out to the others, you are not to stop. You are to go in one-by-one. Failure to do so will result in your failing the trial," and, seeing the shocked expression on the trainees faces, asked "So, whose first?"
This can't be real, Elias thought, this is just a test to get us to overcome fear and trust our superior officers, we'll go in, and find that it's just fake fire, but a part of her was still paralyzed at the thought of charging into that inferno.
Then, before Elias knew what was happening, she saw Eridas run headlong into the inferno, heard his grunt of pain, then saw him disappear into the maw of fire. Then she heard his scream of agony, echoing in the room as all the other trainees fell silent.
"Next trainee," the exarch ordered, and Seth asked "Did he get across? What happened?" but the exarch merely stated "Next trainee," and another trainee, blond and lean, turned a smile to Reyela, said "Wish me luck," and charged into the fire. They heard his scream a mere half-second later. "Brother!" cried Reyela in anguish, but the exarch merely stated "Next trainee," and none stepped forward.
This can't be real, Elias thought to herself as the world began to spin around her, this can't be! for before her eyes the sparks and shifting tides of the flame turned into muzzle flashes, the roaring fire turned to roaring gunfire, the rising smoke turned to muzzle smoke, and she once again felt the pain of being shot. Her knees began to shake, her eyes widened, nausea swept over her and it was all she could do to not pitch forward and vomit.
Then it was over and three more had ran forward through the flames, their screams echoing for a moment before dying away. She extended her hand out and felt the flames heat, drew away. If this fire was false, it sure was convincing. Another ran in, another screamed. "An aspect warrior," said the exarch, "must trust his commanding officer and the farseer, even if it means certain death," and Elias closed her eyes. She took a deep breath in, hearing the other trainees shuffle around her, each wondering who would go in next, and she exhaled sharply, sprinting forward. Her mind was blank, she knew not why, but her's was not to question why. Hers was but to do and die.
Pain. Searing, boiling pain. She screamed out, but kept running, as to turn around would be to face death as a coward, and she had lost enough of herself already without becoming a coward. She wondered, for just a moment, what Toryll would think of her now. She'd probably think Elias was mad. Then she emerged from the fires and the pain was gone. She opened her eyes.
The other trainees were standing there, for the most part recovering from the shock, next to the fire dragon on the other side of the inferno. Elias looked down at herself and saw that there were no burns, no marks of any kind. Her baptism of fire was now merely a slowly-fading memory of pain.
One more came through. The rest she never saw again: taken off the path and left standing outside the cathedral, the word "Coward" ringing in their ears.
As for Elias and the others, their trials were just beginning.