ISOLDE KOHLENSTOFF


The first time Isolde witnessed the death of another Human being was at the age of five, her ears ringing from the bolt pistol's discharge only some steps away. A man's brains were spread across the wall of the Schola's hallway, and within moments two others joined him as the bolt pistol's wielder turned it upon them without hesitation.

That day had been like many others at the Schola for Isolde, with nothing out of the ordinary until that very event which is perhaps why it would stand out all that much more to her in the years to come. Far be it from a typical learning institution, the Schola Progenium was one among an institution administered by the Imperium's Ecclesiarchy to raise the orphaned children of Imperial officials and servants.

The term for the students of these schools was Progena, and from a young age they would be inducted into a regimen of harsh discipline. From their first day of joining the Schola these Progena are taught about the God-Emperor whose existence they owe their lives to, and that he has no need for the weak or feeble, that pain was naught but the indication of an untrained mind. This belief was driven even deeper upon the harsh Death World that was Kimara, where the very planet itself was an obstacle to anything approaching comfort or safety.

From this point Progena would be further indoctrinated to the Imperial Creed through the usage of prayer, contemplation, fasting, and punitive correction as needed by their instructors known as Drill Abbots to forge minds of unrelenting purpose and unshakeable faith. For the Progena their education would undergo a set path beginning with literacy and the Imperial Creed, before being followed by history, politics, the contemplation of Imperial saints, rhetoric, and leadership skills as they progressed in age. Their physical attributes would also be strictly measured and trained as well, with Drill Abbots honing their endurance, strength, and skill with various weapon forms. From their earliest years to adulthood they would be trained tirelessly, and it was from this system that the Imperium's greatest servants would often be born.

Isolde was no different, even as the daughter of the Schola's Commandant. Some outsiders might question their relation given that the Commandant was never known to have had a relationship with a woman, so dedicated he was to his work and planet. Even still she had appeared in the Schola one day as a newborn infant with him claiming her as his kin, and none of his staff saw fit to ask anything else about the matter.

Despite her status Isolde was held to the same standard, if not a greater one, as all her peers thanks to the Commandant's ruthless nature and decree that she was to be treated as any other child. Not one of the Drill Abbots at the facility would dare cross him, and so each made certain to not be the one to be seen as granting her favor. Knowing no other way of life, this had little effect on Isolde, who simply lived among the other children.

Where a difference could be drawn however was that while other Progena were just beginning to become literate with Imperial Gothic and learning about the greater Imperium, Isolde was reading alongside her father for hours each night after his other duties were completed. It was not that the act of reading itself was something she was majestically gifted in, or that it was some great hobby of hers even if she did enjoy it, but she did it all the same because it was what was expected of her and making her father proud was something she was keen on doing from her first memories. She ate the same food, slept in the same beds, and underwent the same experience as her fellow members of the Schola and it was only in moments like this that she felt different from the orphans she was surrounded by.

The only notable difference that day was that it was not one of the many Drill Abbots or Abbesses reading to them stories about the God-Emperor of Mankind or his greatest heroes in the Schola's primary library, but rather the Commandant himself. While not a wholly unique occasion it only happened maybe once every few weeks, and so Isolde had been keenly listening to him as he read just as she had done her best to improve her reading skills prior to his arrival. Her mind was a sponge for information, like that of many a child, and so she hung off each and every word he said.

Even at five years of age Isolde knew little of what existed beyond the Schola's walls, with her father having made certain to keep her confined to it for her own safety: warnings of the dangerous monsters which lay beyond the Schola and city walls were enough to keep even the most mischievous of children in line, and so Isolde remained...but that did not mean her curiosity did not lay elsewhere.

For example, why was it that all of the visitors to the Schola and nearly all of its instructors were women? Isolde did not understand much of the difference between Human males and females, but the fact that other than her father she never saw an adult man was a point of fascination for her young mind. Even with how gender segregated Scholas tended to be she still knew there were plenty of boys being raised at the Schola, so what happened to the men outside there?

While not opposed to social interaction, Isolde had not yet gotten to know her fellow Progena well and so sat behind most of them by herself while her father spoke. While she could have tried taking a seat by his side she felt it would be improper and so suppressed the desire to do so, but she was at least kept company by a member of the local fauna which had joined the circle of children listening to the Commandant.

Also seated among the Schola's young were various Ixolotls, for the native creatures to Kimara possessed a natural innocence akin to that of the Progena present. Entirely tame and well mannered, they were as much a part of the scenery of everyday life on Kimara as snow itself and so them casually joining in on such an occasion was accepted as a part of life. What's more, given their simplicity of mind they were used by the Schola for various everyday tasks to conserve their limited manpower for more complex work, and their soft bodies and friendly disposition made them natural companions to the children, many of whom were lonesome when they first came to the Schola.

It was unlikely the Ixolotls could understand much if anything of the stories told in the library, but being communal animals they enjoyed being around others and even would mimic Human behavior on occasion: if the Humans by them were happy at what they heard then so were the Ixolotls, if they were sad then so too would the simple minded creatures. Anger was nearly anathema to them however, making them all the better as a companion to children whom might accidentally upset another animal in its place.

On the occasions the Commandant did personally teach the Progena it would be with stories rather than prayers they did not yet comprehend or rigid exercises meant to teach them letters, grammar, or other necessary functions for literacy. While the books he read from were no different than those used by his staff the excerpts he chose did, for it seemed that storytelling was a way to unwind for the former Commissar all the while contributing towards the education of those under his protection.

The story of the day followed the journey of Induro Beau, a boy whose genius was said to surpass that of almost any other. From his earliest days he was known to understand the inner workings of almost anything he laid eyes upon, and for this knowledge he was taken in and nurtured by the Tyrant of Larissa, the land he was found in, so that they might make use of him. Induro had never known his family, having been separated from them as an infant thanks to a conflict between his father and mother, though he knew none of that.

All Induro knew was that what he set his mind to he could accomplish, and that the people now surrounding him only cared for him so much as they would a prized tool. It is perhaps to be expected that those around him would see him as cold and distant, for he knew he did not belong yet had nowhere else to call home at the time. Despite his sour reaction to his surroundings his mind was fascinated by creation, and the boy dreamt of building a world one day where there would be no war or conflict. It was through this pursuit that he allowed his true self to shine past his cold façade, and those closest to him could see a boy whose heart was far warmer than others might first believe.

In the following years Induro would craft statues, erect monuments, and illustrate fantastic works of art all the while designing superior technology and systems to improve the lives of the people of Larissa. Despite this, the only thing he would become truly recognized for was his mind's penchant for war. For someone as intelligent as he was capable of outwitting those who came against him, be it in debate or be it in physical conflict. It was for this purpose that he was adopted by the ruling family of his nation, and for this reason he was put to use in conquering all who opposed them. His works of art would be neglected in favor of his military triumphs, and his technological innovation ignored for his people did not believe in the logic and reason which his mind was dominated by.

In contrast to Induro was his brother known as Thorne, a boy whose genius was also legendary and hailed far and wide. While similar to Induro in how he possessed a cold countenance, Thorne was disposed towards outright confrontation rather than brooding for he would always speak his mind and would never censor himself or his thoughts. Similarly lost to their family at a young age, Thorne upon being discovered in the prosperous nation of Gewissen was raised by a kindly man whom he would grow fond of in the years to come. Through this adopted kin's influence Thorne would rise to lead the people of Gewissen, eventually putting to work his own talented mind along with the vast technology at his disposal towards restoring a great fortress to its prime, one which would become his nation's pride.

The day would come that Induro would be found by his family once again and reunited with his lost kin, but not before Thorne himself was found. In the time between Thorne had proven himself a loyal and unquestioning son to the man he learned was the ruler of their world, and despite never seeking it outright would continually be granted his true father's approval and favor. Induro however, upon rejoining his family, would prove just as loyal and unquestioning for he felt like for once he truly belonged. That, now that he was free of the Tyrant who once enthralled him, he could put to use the talents wasted upon Larissa with no true outlet for his mind. After all Induro learned that he was not some mere orphan, but the son of the world's largest empire and thus a part of something far greater than he had ever imagined.

Unfortunately, just as with his adoptive family prior Induro would find himself cast in the role of a conqueror, for it was what his father needed from him to unify their planet's many nations and bring about peace. His father's intentions were nobler than those of his adoptive father's, for it was not hunger for power which drove him but rather a desire to help every citizen of the world...however in practice it called for the same actions and work from Induro. Day after day, year after year, he was made to suffer through unforgiving conflict after unforgiving conflict such that his father's empire might succeed. Where other commanders might waver or refuse to do battle, Induro was put to use for his mind and strength of will could carry him and his forces through to victory even if it would come at great cost.

While Thorne's great mind was also put to use in conquering, he also was given the honor of building the foundation of their empire: a grand palace with immense fortifications to withstand any foe. Given his forthright nature he even would claim that Induro could not conquer his palace, for Thorne was so sure of his own skill that it was inconceivable that even his similarly brilliant brother could overcome something of his creation. This claim, while not a boast, still incensed Induro who greatly desired the opportunity to build rather than destroy and yet was insulted by the brother given such an opportunity.

Induro had sought recognition from his father all this time and yet never received it, instead being used for thankless work no one else would do. The soldiers under his command were ravaged by the horrors of unending conflict and war without being granted reprieve, all without being hailed as heroes even as their brethren on other, easier battlefields were. Unsung heroes whose triumphs were ignored, or outright diminished: tale has it that in a conflict he fought alongside Thorne's forces that Thorne's men were granted glory even while Induro's were cast as weak, despite their having been the ones to sacrifice more to achieve victory. Induro and his men bled in battle after battle, with Induro's stubborn nature not allowing him to outright ask for the approval he sought: he thought his deeds and sacrifices would be shown the respect they were due, but instead was forced to watch as the mere words of others allowed them greater honor than he was ever afforded.

Eventually the day would come that Induro's once indomitable will would break, his dreams of a peaceful world crushed by the slaughter and depravity of war he had been forced through his entire life. Turning his back on his father, the now ruler of their planet, Induro refused to be taken for granted and so sought to tear down the empire he once helped build. Opposing him would be Thorne, ever the loyal son, and in the years to come their conflicts would ravage their once united world.

For Induro he felt he had no other option but to fight, as in his grief he had snapped and burned down the former nation he was raised within when it rose in rebellion against the empire. He felt he could no longer return to the empire, but also that it had used him not as a person but as a tool, and that the father he had been so comforted by meeting did not care for him at all except for his worth as a blunt instrument to destroy his foes. If he could not be allowed to build a peaceful world through the empire without sacrificing his humanity and everything else he had, then he would build one atop its ashes.

In time the sacrifices of Induro and his men would go from ignored to being entirely forgotten, or even reviled, while Thorne's legacy would be one of great heroism and triumph even after on one occasion sacrificing nearly all of the men under his command to prove himself Induro's superior only to fail in the endeavor. Even to the end he was certain he was better than Induro, though it is only by fate's fortune shining upon him that reinforcements came and saved him from his folly.

The traitorous forces would be quelled in time, and it would be the opinion of the victors that those who rose arms against them were weak fools whose own failings were to blame for their fall. So ended this story of the brothers Induro and Thorne, a smaller excerpt of a much larger tome, and which had other books about its events present in the Schola's library. Once finished with it the Commandant placed the book aside, a wistful look upon his face that was lost upon the children who had become enthralled by the tale's mention of various battles and conflicts. Some of the children were saddened by the outcome of the story, something sensed by the Ixolotls present who began to openly sob the tears the children had been disciplined into hiding. Earlier on they had been making joyous noises when Induro was reunited with his family, once again mirroring the emotions of the Progena.

"Why was Induro the bad guy?"

The Commandant smiled at his daughter's question, as if pleasantly surprised by her, "Because history is written by the victors. Life is not so simple as 'good' and 'bad', often being somewhere between the two. Knowing that is important to understanding one's enemy, as your enemies if they are a member of Mankind likely believe that they too are doing what is right. Induro's failings helped lead him to ruin, but things may have never come to that if his brother and father had acted differently as well. If you refuse to understand your foes you will have trouble defeating them, so even if you despise them to the last you must always understand their minds."

Other children asked questions about who would win in a fight, Induro or Thorne, as well as other such simple things one would expect of ones their age. Even Isolde's question was not that profound, instead being born of a child's confusion of why someone so abused was bad, but it would be one which she remembered in time just as she did the ringing in her ears. The Commandant would patiently answer the questions of the children, as well as promise to read more stories of both Induro and Thorne in the future, before moving on to reading more stories from ages ago.

It was an hour into the Commandant's reading of an ancient text speaking of the Great Crusade which once united humanity when loud voices interrupted the affair. While elsewhere a group of children no older than five might have grown bored, the Progena knew better than to show the Commandant anything but the utmost respect lest they be punished by the Abbots, a fear unfortunately not shared by the sources of the noise beyond the library's walls.

"Hey now, don't be so rude! We just wanna keep you some company...not like you Kimarans have any men left, right? The Governa' saw to that!"

The Schola's library had windows built into its inner walls to allow for observation of those within by passing Drill Abbots, something which allowed the Progena and their Commandant to now look outside and see what was the cause of the ruckus: three soldiers wearing customized Imperial Guard uniforms were cornering a Drill Abbess in the hallway beside the library, with the woman clearly trying to resist their advances while also restraining herself from retaliating.

That was the first time that Isolde saw a member of the Wostyn mercenaries loyal to nothing except themselves, having been hired en masse by the ruler of Kimara to impose order upon the world. To the young child she didn't understand the vile things they were asking the Abbess to perform, or why they were interested in her to begin with, but it was obvious that they were unwelcome.

Isolde had no way of knowing then that to earn the favor of local Imperial administrators the Planetary Governor had conscripted the entire male population of Kimara above the age of six to serve the Imperial Guard, with those too young to serve relegated to training camps and minor roles until they could properly serve. She also had no way of knowing that the unscrupulous Governor had done so for purely selfish reasons, or that those outside of the Schola were treated little better than the slaves and playthings of the Governor and his mercenaries.

As far as the Imperium knew Kimara had contributed greatly to their cause, and what did they care for how it was done? Kimara was a traitorous world who had sided with the Iron Warriors in the Horus Heresy, a reputation it had never recovered from and for which it had continually suffered for. What happened to its citizens was not the concern of the Administratum or other arms of the Imperium's government, so long as Kimara continued to pay its various tithes.

Isolde's confusion was broken when her father stood up and motioned for her to follow him, "Isolde, come with me. The rest of you, read pages 373-374 of your textbook. I will deal with this disruption swiftly and I expect you to be finished by then. Olym, read."

The Ixolotl named Olym wasted no time in sitting in the Commandant's seat and picking up his book, mimicking his previous behavior and going through the motions of reading to the class even though it had no ability to speak and in reality had its book upside down. This had the effect of distracting the children, for they found its behavior amusing and thus they did not notice the Commandant's reaching behind himself to check if the gun he kept hidden there was still present: Isolde had seen him holster it enough times to know what he was doing and so wondered what he was going to do with it as she followed behind him. On her way out of the room she nearly tripped over the puzzle another girl was piecing together in the library, though after this mishap Isolde hurried along to keep pace with her father's long strides.

Upon exiting the library Isolde came to notice that things were far worse than it seemed from within the library: strewn across the hallway were various injured Ixolotls, the large salamander-like creatures having been beaten by the mercenaries for being in their way. A boy of about seven or eight was bleeding further down the hallway, and the air reeked of a smell she would later learn was alcohol: the mercenaries despite their intimidating size had managed to drink themselves into a haze.

"Been awhile since I took a new pet, so what do you say? Wanna have some fun with us?" the largest of the mercenaries said, his words just the slightest bit slurred by his intoxication.

The Drill Abbess refused to allow the men to grope her any further, instead spitting in the face of the one who spoke, "I'd rather die than touch one of you animals."

The instant response was for the man many times the Abbess' overall size to backhand her onto the ground, prompting Isolde to cling to the doorway of the library even as her father continued forward. This was growing frightening, and she had never witnessed this kind of conflict before.

Climbing atop the Abbess, the mercenary reached down to grip her by the jaw and neck clumsily, "You see, it's that uppity attitude that got you all in trouble! First you killed our ancestors with the help of those petulant Iron Warriors, then you protected them when they turned on the Emperor! That's why we get to do what we want with ya now, you dirty mongrels. Nobody cares what happens to traitors like you, doesn't matter how much time it's been, you're nothin' but dirt."

Before things could progress further a tap on the mercenary's shoulder distracted him, and he was confused by an old sight appearing before him: that of an Imperial Commissar, something he had not witnessed since his time serving the Guard. After all it was not like there was anyone instilling discipline now, with even a Schola of all places not having the staff to keep out intruders such as him.

"Excuse me, sir. I am Commandant Eisen Kohlenstoff, and I would like to welcome you to my Schola," the Commandant explained, his voice far more respectful and kind than anyone would rightfully suspect in the circumstance.

"Huh?"

One of the others jabbed a finger in the Commandant's direction, though the action almost caused the horribly intoxicated man to fall over, "Hey guy, mind yor own business..."

"Yeah, you wanna get cons...consci...cripted too?" asked the last of them before pointing to the Wostyn regalia on his uniform demonstrating that he was a veteran of many battles.

Despite their confusion and irritation the Commandant remained calm and respectful, even bowing before them even as his voice adopted a mocking tone, "You fought alongside our governor some years ago as members of the Astra Militarum and fought against the enemies of humanity, so know that I am grateful for your service and respect the lives you must have saved."

The one still atop the Abbess chuckled to himself as he looked back to the other two, who looked down to him to share a dopy set of grins, "Hey, would you look at that! A Kimaran who knows their place...guess they ain't all traitorous whores after all..."

In the very next moment his head erupted in a spray of blood and gore, parts of his head littering the wall nearby them as the sound of the Commandant's bolt pistol rang out through the hallway. In bowing he had brought one arm forward and one back, allowing him to grab his pistol without any of the drunken fools noticing. They were well trained soldiers, of that there was no doubt since the Governor had only chosen the best for his retinue, but they were inhibited by the alcohol they consumed and too slow to react as the Commandant rapidly executed the other two men with the cruel, cold efficiency only a Commissar could boast.

"For promising servants of the Imperium to disrupt my Schola in a fit of drunken barbarism...such bad form. My authority comes from a higher power than the Planetary Governor, and it is not one to be crossed lightly."

Isolde's eyes were wide open even as the ringing sensation faded, having witnessed for the first time the true wrath of her father as well as the death of another Human being.

For most children perhaps this would be traumatizing to witness, or at the least scare them...but Isolde was no longer afraid like she had been when watching the mercenaries. The ruthless lessons of the Schola she had been taught day in and out already stayed with her, and so she accepted the fate of those slain like she would accept whatever other punishment was called for when crossing the Imperium.

They deserved it, and that was all there was to it. It was with this in mind that Isolde continued to look upon the sudden carnage, only coming to her senses once she realized her father was assisting the Abbess up from the ground and half-apologizing for the blood splattered on her. To mimic his behavior she set about helping the hurt and confused Ixolotls back to their feet, the soft creatures having been confused by the sudden abuse heaped upon them and true to form not fighting back given their lax nature. The creatures were seemingly grateful, offering her shiny marbles they had found in return before then setting off to carry what remained of the paperwork they were carrying to various offices in the Schola.

Once the Commandant had made certain his Abbess was alright he returned to Isolde's side, where he knelt down and brought a gentle hand to her face.

"I'm proud of you. You were brave when many others wouldn't be."

Reaching in to hug him, Isolde buried her face into her father's chest.

"They were the bad guys, right?"

"Yes...yes they were. Some day we will be free of cretins such as this, but not today. Not tomorrow. Our world is diseased, so we will endure it until the time comes when we can administer its cure."

"Cure?" Isolde asked innocently, prompting a warm grin from the man who so rarely showed emotion.

"You need not worry about that. Focus on your studies and you will be able to help make that future with your own two hands...just know that everything I do is for you, for our people, and for the Emperor."

It was with those words in heart and mind that Isolde slept soundly that night, sure as ever in the righteousness of the man who cared for her.


A/N: While the main story will be following the tale of Jarn's Iron Warriors there will be an important subplot developing throughout on the planet of Kimara. The events on Kimara are not happening at the exact same time period as the Jarn segments thus far, but events will end up at the same point. I just find it important to show things before they become important so as to not deus ex machina or otherwise similarly pull things out of seemingly nowhere. More Iron Warriors next time, but I hope you enjoyed this look into the present day status of Jarn's homeworld.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you will bless me with your thoughts in the reviews below!