RWBY 40k fanfiction – Salem, mistress of Inquisition.
Ep 19 : Lion El'Jonson.
Caliban is a human planet covered with large forests. The supposedly peaceful planet has actually been haunted by terrible monsters called the Great Beasts for millennia.
In one of these hostile forests, a group of knights moved in pursuit of these terrible creatures.
They were on huge horses as black as night, wearing great archaic power armor, chainswords and other bolt pistols.
This group was moving in search of these beasts in the northern reaches of Caliban, considered among the most dangerous of Caliban because these forests are plunged into the most total darkness.
At their head was Luther, a knight well respected in his guild.
They came to a stream.
Luther: "We should stop here. We've had a hell of a trip."
Knight 1: "I didn't see the time pass..."
Knight 2: "Hm..."
They dismounted and began to gather a camp as they attempted to light a fire.
As Luther watched the forest and the stream.
He suddenly heard a noise in the bushes.
Luther: "?"
He looked in the direction the noise was coming from but nothing came out of the woods.
The sound of the bushes grew louder, closer to the group. What made react the other knights who drew their weapons.
But eventually, the noise reached the group and the knights were jostled.
They went to attack but came across a truly surprising scene.
They saw a young boy, naked as a baby stretching his hands towards the fire to warm himself.
Luther moved closer.
Knight 1: "But who is this child?"
Knight 2: "I have no idea."
One of the knights approached his chainsaw.
Knight 3: "Let's kill him."
Knight 2: "Why?"
Knight 4: "It's impossible for a child to survive here. Beasts can barely be fought. So it's a child-like monster."
The child turned to them and looked at them without any ounce of fear.
Luther took pity on this orphan and put away his weapon. He knelt towards him.
Luther: "It's alright my boy. You're under good protection now."
Knight 3: "What?"
Knight 4: "Beware, Luther."
Luther: "He's only a child. Otherwise, we'd already be dead."
He took a blanket from his horse before putting it on the young boy.
A few days later...
The group returns to their large fortress on the border in a large plain.
It was a grand castle bearing the proud name of Aldurukh, the seat of the Order. Caliban's most respected knight's guild.
The knights were then surprised to see a young boy wrapped in a blanket, in front of Luther.
Knight of the Castle: "Welcome back, Luther. But who is this boy?"
Luther: "A survivor. Come down."
The boy obeyed without saying a word and then the group entered the fortress.
Inside, the young boy was surprised to see so many knights fighting each other, wearing training armor. Such activity surprised him.
Luther: "This is your new home. You'll be fine here now."
The boy stammered, trying to form a word.
Boy: "Thank... you."
For many years the young boy continued to grow with great strength and fighting quality that no Knight of Caliban.
The young boy earned the name Lion El'Jonson.
He and Luther developed a great friendship despite their opposing character and worldview.
Lion El'Jonson is taciturn and makes irrevocable strategic decisions.
Luther, on the other hand, was charismatic and impetuous.
These differences made them a legendary duo.
The Order of Caliban grew with them as they climbed the hierarchy as monastic fortresses were built all over the planet.
They waged victorious campaigns against the monsters that haunted the planet.
Lion with Luther then prepared a meticulous plan to get rid of the beasts that had caused the inhabitants of Caliban so much suffering.
Thus, they found themselves before Lord Cypher, the keeper of knowledge and master of traditions of the Order.
Lord Cypher: "A campaign of extermination of the Great Beasts. It seems... miraculous."
Luther: "Trust. Lord Cypher. We've got it all worked out."
Lion: "The knights and other civilians of Caliban expect more from the Order. So do the other Knight guilds."
Cypher: "I see... In that case. Let's see what you have to give. Either you will definitely turn a page in our history. Or... you will have tried. In any case, you are already a great hero. "
Lion: "Thank you...Great Lord Cypher."
They come out of the meeting room.
Luther: "It's a good thing Lion! Our world will finally be at peace."
Lion: "I know..."
Thus, a grand campaign to annihilate the Great Beasts of Caliban begins.
The battles were fought for more than a decade and the terrible Beasts receded.
One day, as the campaign continues to rage. In the Order's fortress monastery, a young Squire was about to be knighted.
He is a young and fiery man who had the reputation of being a particularly gifted squire.
Lion: "Young man you are a particularly valiant person."
Young man: "Thank you... My name is Zahariel El'Zurias."
Luther: "I see... From what I see. I think you will be a particularly glorious knight of the order."
Zahariel: "Thank you very much..."
Zahariel came to an old knight and everyone looked at him.
Old Knight: "Young apprentice. Be a Knight of the Order of Caliban henceforth."
He put the flat of his sword on each of his shoulders and the young man stood up.
All the knights applauded the young boy.
Lion: "One more member in our household."
Luther: "Yes."
As the Crusade against the Great Beasts was in full swing. Unprecedented tensions appeared between the Order and the Knights of Lupus.
A conservative brotherhood that denounced the eradication of the Great Beasts and said that this act would condemn Caliban to ruin.
Lion and Luther tried to negotiate with the master of the brotherhood, but the meeting ended in stoning between the two groups of knights.
War broke out and the fortress of the Knights of Lupus was stormed.
Lion coordinated the attacks of the iron belfries which arrived towards the top of the ramparts.
Lion: "Kill them! No prisoners! No mercy!"
The knights of the order forcefully fought the Knights of Lupus and slaughtered them.
The Order quickly seized the ramparts and the lower court while the peasants, serfs and other pages took refuge inside the small houses of the court.
All that remained was the huge curtain wall, the High Court and the dungeon which towered high in the sky.
Lion mowed down everyone who faced him with his great sword.
The Knights of Lupus trembled in front of this colossus more than 2 meters high.
Eventually, they ended up running away in fear and cowardice.
But Lion showed them no mercy.
After heavy fighting, the curtain wall of the castle was stormed and the portcullis was forced.
The Knights of the Order arrived towards the High Court, frightening the servants and other unarmed vassals who hid behind the horses and other barrels.
The Knights surrounded the huge keep.
Lion arrived with Luther at the door.
Lion: "Sartana, grand master of the Knights of Lupus! I order you to surrender!"
No response from the dungeon.
Lion: "Know that your army has been annihilated and we are masters of the fortress. You have no one left outside your dungeon. Surrender."
The drawbridge then descended but the knights of the order had a vision of horror.
Behind were great beasts that pounced on the unlucky ones before devouring them.
Lion: "The wretch... That's why he didn't want the Great Beasts to die!"
Luther: "I'll hold that felon with the tip of my blade!"
The knights fought fiercely against the Great Beasts that came out of the dungeon.
At the cost of heavy losses, every beast was killed. Lion killed one that looked like a huge lizard nearly three meters long.
After these fights, the knights entered the keep and killed the last besieged.
They finally arrived at their enemies' meeting room and discovered their enemy on the ground surrounded by two young knights whom Lion recognized.
Zahariel and his cousin Nemiel.
Zahariel: "We've been waiting for you for a long time."
Lion: "You managed to infiltrate? But how?"
Nemiel: "My cousin knows where to find the secret passages."
Leo: "Hm... very good."
The knights have finished with the Knights of Lupus and have decided to bring back to their fortress-monastery Aldurukh the library of these terrible knights.
This victory was the total eradication of the majority of the Great Beasts of Caliban.
The inhabitants then saw the dawn of a period of grandiose prosperity.
Lion El'Jonson received tribute and honor from his brotherhood.
But Luther himself was not praised as much despite his great role. A jealousy was beginning to dawn in his heart.
As the 10th year of the Great Beast eradication campaign came to an end.
A troop of Knights of the Order led by Lion El'Jonson, accompanied by Luther, Zahariel, and Nemiel.
They had come to hunt down the last Great Beast.
After looking in the big forest where they said they saw him.
They came to a large clearing at the foot of a large stone cliff.
He turned his horse back towards his warriors.
Lion: "Knights of the Order of Caliban! Our culmination is here! After these long ten years. May our Crusade end and may its end give us the prosperity we deserve!"
The knights nodded in their own way.
But Lion squinted and saw something at the edge of the forest.
The knights turned and were surprised to see a Calibanite eagle perched on a tree, gazing at them with a sovereign air. These very rare eagles carried omens.
Knight: "Lord Lion. I feel that this eagle predicts a great victory for you!"
Zahariel: "I feel it too!"
But as the knights encouraged their master to go hunting, a hot, acidic wind arose.
Luther: "But what's going on?"
The knights tried to locate the origin of this strange wind, one of them looked up.
Knight: "Oh! Look up there!"
They all looked up.
A dark figure descended from the sky.
A great nervousness seized the knights.
Knight 1: "We're cursed! The Great Beasts have returned to take revenge!"
Knight 2: "Help!"
Lion: "Silence!"
The knights calmed down at their leader's injunction;
Lion: "Keep calm. We don't know anything so don't do anything and lower your weapons for mercy."
The knights looked at each other and reluctantly put away their weapons one after another.
Luther: "But what's going on? There's another one now!"
Another equally massive figure descended from the sky.
Now that those things are closer. They are more like huge iron fortresses larger than Aldurukh.
Which made the troop all the more nervous.
Dark, armored figures then detached themselves from the belly of these monsters.
Luther: "Sounds like... an old legend of Caliban: Angels as black as night will descend upon Caliban to slay the Great Beasts in a storm of fire."
Lion: "The Dark Angels..."
These warriors landed in front of the troop of knights.
The troop was shocked to see that they sported armors similar to theirs. Real giants dressed in green armor.
One of them came forward and took off his helmet.
The troop had its shock growing when they saw the face of this man: it was similar to that of Lion.
Lion: "What's your name?"
Warrior: "My name? My name is Midris. Me and my brothers are part of the 1st Legion of the Imperium."
Luther: "1st Legion? Imperium? What are you talking about?"
Midris: "The Star-stretching Imperium of Mankind. We serve the Emperor, Ruler of the human race and of Terra. Accompanied by the mighty sorceress of Terra. We are his emissaries."
They knelt in front of the still shocked troop.
Lion El'Joson got to know these "Space Marines". They were just scouts for a much larger army that soon arrived on Caliban.
Emissaries, navvies, historians, interpreters and others versed in the art of diplomacy arrived in their turn whose notable difference was their size and their more human attributes.
These Astartes were well received by the population, they represented the ideal of a knight.
But their organization was the thing that surprised the brotherhood of the Order of Caliban the most was their organization.
1st Legion was just one single army dedicated to one purpose.
Lion then had an idea and decided as supreme master of the Order that they would dissolve the disparate guilds of the order to unite them in a single homogeneous organization.
The Noble Families had protested, but Lion argued that it was a chance to serve the Emperor and unite in a common cause.
The Emperor finally arrived at Caliban accompanied by the Witch of Terra.
Lion accompanied by Luther, Zahariel and Lord Cypher awaited his arrival and the higher masters of the Order.
They could see in the sky the Bucephelus, a huge gold-colored ship that shone like the sun.
Lion: "We just have to wait..."
Luther: "I wonder how this Emperor will be."
Zahariel: "Excuse me. I'll be right back."
Lion: "Why?"
Zahariel: "Because there is someone suspicious here."
Lion: "Really?"
Zahariel: "Yes, a knight with evil thoughts who wishes the Emperor harm."
Lion: "Hm... Go ahead."
Luther: "What?"
Lion: "His intuition never deceived him, Luther. You know that as well as I do."
Moments later, the Emperor of Humanity accompanied by the Witch of Terra.
Lion was impressed to see this man of such size, bearing and strength.
All the other warriors of the brotherhood were shocked to see such an Emperor that they had imagined in a thousand ways.
The Witch of Terra by her side was as lovely as the Imperials said.
Emperor: "So here I am facing you Lion El'Jonson."
Lion: "You are the Emperor... (turned to the woman) ... You are the Witch of Terra."
Salem: "Indeed..."
Evening in the fortress-monastery. The Emperor, the Witch of Terra and Lion El'Jonson.
Lion: "So you are my parents."
Salem: "Yes. We've been looking for you for decades but you've come back to us now...and that makes me happy. You should see your brothers."
Emperor: "The 1st Legion has been under my direct command since the start of the Great Crusade. It gives me great pride to return it to you."
Lion El'Jonson: "I have defeated the monsters of my world. I believe I am capable of destroying the monsters that threaten all of Humanity."
Salem: "You'll get to know your niece too. She'll be ten in a few months."
Lion El'Jonson: "My niece?"
Salem: "She's your brother Roboute Guilliman's daughter."
She showed a photograph of the Princess of Ultramar.
She wore long blond hair with leafy green eyes, her figure was delicate and already very beautiful for a girl of her age.
(Note: Appearance of Princess Zelda from BOTW in her princess garb but with Ultramar and Macragge symbols instead of Hyrule).
Lion El'Jonson: "Hm... I'll go see her when the time is right."
Salem: "Trust me. You won't be disappointed to see her."
To be continued... Perturabo the great strategist.
On Olympia, a strategist will bring change to his world.
Next Episode... the Childhood of the little niece.
Kariady grew up a princely life on Macragge, one day his father Roboute Guilliman.