Far below the gilded streets of Hyperia, past the layers upon layers of kilometer-thick artificial crust, beneath even the deepest strata of the underhive, the metallic roots and rhizomes of the hive-sprawl dug into the true surface of Vigilus. A dense network of man-made tunnels and conduits mingled with the natural caves and caverns within Vigilus's rocky interior, like an immense circulatory system tapped into the geothermal heart of the planet itself. Here was the true bottom of Hyperia, where anything discarded from the surface would eventually end up. These tunnels and sewers were infested with all manner of pests and parasites, feasting upon the waste of the immense urban settlement above. This teeming population of overgrown insects and mutated vermin acted as a sort of organic garbage disposal for the hive-sprawls, but could also act as a food source for other things…
One of these creatures, an oversized, hairless mammal-thing that looked like a cross between a lizard and a rat, slithered along a large pipe gobbling up insects and filth. It dropped down from the wall and landed on the slimy floor, wriggling itself over to a stream of running water to drink from. Suddenly and without warning, it was turned into a fine red mist by a .75 caliber bolter round.
"Ha! Gottem!" Shouted one of the space marines, skulking in the darkness of the underground tunnels.
He was adorned in pale grey-blue armor, with bright yellow pauldrons emblazoned with the symbol of a wolf. His armor was relatively clean and unscathed, especially for a warrior of the Vlka Fenryka, and only a scant few trophies of battle hung from it. A pattern of red spikes was plastered across his right pauldron, further solidifying his neophyte status as a Blood Claw.
"Cassius! Stop wasting ammunition!" Said another, more grizzled marine, followed by a smack to the back of Cassius's helmet.
"Searg- I mean, Huscarl, I was just… testing my weapon on a potential target. We haven't fired a single shot since arriving here." Cassius said. "I wanted to ensure my weapon was still operational."
"Cassius, you're only digging yourself deeper, mate." another Blood Claw named Jax said in a deep, rumbling voice.
"Just be happy you got off with a love tap." A third blood claw named Garrick said.
"Oh, go dive into the Rift you bloody pissants." Cassius said.
"By Morkai, I wish we'd get attacked by Genestealers already so I wouldn't have to hear your bleating any longer." the last Blood Claw named Ulfric said.
The older, grizzled space wolf groaned. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, as it was customary for older and more experienced Space Wolves to often forgo wearing their helmets while planetside, revealing his scarred and white-bearded face.
It's like watching after 8 and half foot children. he thought.
Huscarl Yngvi Fangbreaker was a seasoned veteran of the Space Wolves, having been inducted into the Wolf Guard nearly a century ago. He had fought in campaigns all across the galaxy and was even present on Cadia alongside Logan Grimnar himself during the 13th Black Crusade. It was for this reason that he was deemed especially suited for the task of "breaking in" the newly inducted Primaris Marines delivered to Fenris by Guilliman's Indomitus fleet. They were by no means inexperienced, having fought alongside Lord Guilliman for a time before being introduced to the Vlka Fenryka proper, however they lacked the practical experience that decades or even centuries of warfare brings. As a result, they had yet to fully master the more… volatile aspects of the Space Wolve's geneseed, even in spite of the 'improvements' made by Guilliman's techno-warlock Belisarius Cawl. They also had a distinctly Macraggean disposition thanks to their service under the Lord Commander and were having some difficulty adjusting to the customs and idiosyncrasies of the firstborn Space Wolves. That combined with the infamous temper and bloodlust of young Vlka Fenryka made them difficult to control for all but the most disciplined and experienced Space Wolf commanders.
Yngvi currently had 4 Primaris Marines under his tutelage, that being Cassius, Garrick, Jax, and Ulfric. Cassius was brash, indignant, and had a habit of never shutting his mouth; However, his skill with a boltpistol and chainsword gave him a deadly bite to back up his incessant barking. Garrick often acted as a counterweight to Cassius's braggadocious nature, offering rebuttals to his boasts and prodding, and rivaling his combat prowess with his own bolter and powerfist. The two had gotten into more than their fair share of martial contests in the midst of battle - often leading to them coming to blows once there were no more enemies to fight. Jax by contrast was a marine of fewer words. Him standing nearly a foot taller than the rest meant he didn't need words to back up his imposing presence. It helped that he wielded a Frost Axe with the strength to cleave a traitor marine clean in twain: a feat he'd accomplished at least twice. Lastly was Ulfric, who even among his Primaris brethren was a bit of an outlier. Not that he had a hard time adjusting to the Fenryka - far from it. He had become enamored with the culture and traditions of Fenris before even stepping foot on the planet. Most of his sources on Fenrisian culture and history were… spotty at best, so he wasn't exactly a natural-born Fenrisian. Yet, Yngvi appreciated his eagerness to adapt all the same. Ironically, rather than choosing a more traditional Fenrisian arsenal, Ulfric was a natural-born heavy weapons expert. He was currently carrying a heavy bolt rifle with an underslung grenade launcher, albeit painted with some Fenrisian runes and knot patterns - something the lad had picked up as a hobby. Yngvi himself was technically a Primaris Marine as well, having undergone the painful and risky procedure to cross the Rubicon Primaris and join the ranks of Ascended.
"Didn't that Mechanicus warlock drill some patience into your heads when you were asleep for 10 millennia?" Yngvi said. "We're almost done patrolling the underhives for Genestealer infestations. After that we're redeploying to the Outer Core to fight Tyranids and Orks, there you can expend ammunition to yer heart's desire."
Ygnvi faced forwards again and they continued their patrol down the sewers of the underhive.
Damned Newbloods… by the Throne, I'd have kicked out the lot of 'em if they weren't so damned good at fighting. Ygnvi thought.
Faint beams of orange-red light, filtered through miles of hazy exhaust and pollution, streamed in through the hole in the ceiling. Admu groaned and rubbed her head, lifting herself out of the immense pile of rubble and debris. She was in the middle of some kind of massive tunnel, a dark, damp, and rather filthy gutter. She lifted herself out of the pile of rubbish, stumbling as she was struck by an intense headache. It passed after a few seconds, allowing her to recover and take stock of her surroundings. She was standing on the destroyed chunk of scrap that had given way beneath her, surrounded by a pile of miscellaneous debris that either fell along with her or accumulated while she was unconscious. There was no sign of the creature she had gone to such lengths to pursue, either. She scratched her head in frustration as the ringing, buzzing sensation inside of her head seemed to ebb and flow at random, making it hard for her to think.
"Well, I'm in a real pickle right now." Admu said with an annoyed huff.
She knew she had to ascend somehow to get anywhere close to returning to the surface, but which direction led upwards was a complete mystery. There were innumerable tunnel entrances of various sizes all around her, as she seemed to be standing in some sort of atrium or nexus in whatever expansive subterranean network she had fallen into. Then she noticed that one of the tunnels had a trickle of running water pouring out of it, pooling on the floor in a large puddle.
"Running water… water travels downhill… that tunnel must lead somewhere higher up!" Admu said.
Granted, she didn't exactly know where "higher up" was, but it was better than simply sitting there and waiting for someone - or something - to find her. She clambered up a series of pipes and missing bricks to the entrance of the tunnel, hoisting herself up and embarking on the long journey upwards.
She continued wandering through the tunnels, following the steady streams of polluted water as they snaked and branched through the pipe networks. She was periodically struck by the same splitting headaches, sometimes debilitating her for minutes at a time. Still, she continued to persevere. She began to hear noises coming from deeper within the tunnel, that gradually became recognizable as voices the more she approached them.
"Huscarl, do you hear that?" Garrick whispered, pointing the flashlight embedded in his helmet down the dark corridors.
Huscarl Yngvi motioned to the other Blood Claws, issuing non-verbal commands to advance. Garrick raised his bolter and began to investigate the source of the noise, walking with relative silence in his bulky power armor. He turned a corner with his fellow Blood Claws close behind, scanning his surroundings before moving forward. The sound grew louder and louder as they homed in on its source. He pinpointed it to be just around the next bend and made hand signals to indicate this to the other marines. They moved into combat positions they had been thoroughly drilled on under the Ultramarines' tutelage and prepared to strike on their potential target. Garrick quickly rounded the corner, followed by Cassius, Jax, and Ulfric, their weapons bared and trained on… another of the hairless rat-lizards from before. The five marines lowered their weapons with a measure of disappointment.
"They must be making Genestealers smaller than they used to." Cassius said.
"That's strange…" Garrick said. "I could've sworn I heard something larg-"
Suddenly the ceiling above them gave way, causing chunks of rusted metal and rockcrete to plummet to the ground next to them along with heavy clouds of dust which quickly filled the tunnel. Admu shoved a chunk of debris off of herself, coughing and rubbing her eyes from the thick dust cloud. As the dust dissipated, she noticed first the glowing red visors piercing through the grey clouds. Then, as the dust further dissipated, she noticed the massive guns trained directly at her. She quickly raised her hands in an attempt to avoid a violent confrontation.
"Wait a minute…" Jax said. "That ain't no Genestealer."
"She's human… and unarmed." Ulfric said.
"Lower your weapons!" Ygnvi said.
"What in the Emperor's name is she doing down here?" Cassius said.
While the marines reacted to her presence, Admu was quietly panicking. These were clearly space marines, the exact people Leman had explicitly told her to avoid at any cost.
Leman told me not to speak to them… Admu thought. But how else am I supposed to get out of here?
Yngvi stepped forward, approaching the strange girl in the sewers.
"Are you… alright, lass?" Yngvi said.
"I… um…" Admu said.
She dusted herself off, rising to her feet and standing upright. The marines were immediately taken aback by her size.
"By the throne… Jax, she's even taller than you!" Garrick said.
"Oh! Uh… I'm an… an…" Admu stammered, struggling to remember what Leman had called her the day before. "I'm an Ogryn! That's right. An Ogryn named Tia!"
"I didn't know they made Ogryn like that." Cassius said, prompting Yngvi to smack him in the back of the head once more.
"Er… Tia, what're you doing down here?" Yngvi asked.
"I, uh, I… got lost. And fell. All the way down here, wherever 'here' is. I was actually looking for a way back up to the surface." Admu said, laughing nervously.
"You… fell? All the way from the hive?" Yngvi said.
Admu nodded vigorously.
"Well then, she's certainly as tough as an Ogryn." Jax said, observing her uninjured body.
"Uh, thank you!" Admu said, smiling. "Do you think you could… help me find my way back up?"
Ygnvi rubbed his forehead.
"Well… we were on our way back anyways, so I suppose you can stick with us for the remainder of the patrol. Just don't get in the way, and don't go wandering off either. We're not going back to get you." Yngvi said.
"You have my eternal gratitude mister, um…" Admu said.
"Yngvi." Yngvi said. "This here's Garrick, the tall one's Jax, the one with all the runes on his armor is Ulfric, and the one with the big mouth is Cassius." he said, gesturing towards the blood claws.
"It's nice to meet you all!" Admu said.
Leman walked with a hurried pace towards the towering, golden spire at the administrative heart of Hyperia, moving as quickly as he could without standing out too much among the crowds. He briefly contemplated going back to retrieve his weapons from the ship as he had originally intended to but decided it would be a waste of time. It's not as though he could carry around an enchanted longsword and glowing axe while remaining inconspicuous, and his previous encounter with the zealots assured him that he would have little trouble dealing with whatever defenses the Cardinal may have without his weapons. It's not as though he intended to storm the front gates of the compound and fight his way through the building, he was going to try and do this as stealthily as he could. While the Sons of Fenris may be known around the galaxy for their barbaric boisterousness, they were also highly capable hunters - and a hunter that allowed himself to be seen by his prey was not a very good hunter. The central spire was smaller than he expected, though as he was on the highest level of the hive-sprawl it was likely that it extended many miles down. His first hurdle would be getting in without being detected. Then he would have to find where they were keeping Lucas's wife and make it there unseen. Finally, he would have to somehow free and then escape with the imprisoned woman.
There was also the matter of the Cardinal himself. Leman had growing suspicions about the preacher and wanted to investigate this 'holy man' for himself. A small part of him chastised his decision to get involved in this planet's affairs at all, let alone intervene on behalf of a single person among countless millions. What lasting good would it really accomplish?
Then, as if involuntarily, he imagined what Admu would say in such a situation.
What does it matter? Helping people is always good. He imagined her saying, with her typical cloying sweetness.
Leman smirked.
Perhaps her saccharine nature is contagious. He thought.
Leman approached the grand entrance to the holy spire, a massive gateway leading into a large courtyard. The courtyard was circular and paved with polished marble, with a statue of a bald, hooded man crowned with a spiked halo of gold at its center. Pilgrims from all corners of the Imperium Nihilus were gathered here, as it was considered the site closest to the Emperor's light on this side of the Great Rift. Luckily for the concealed Primarch, this made hiding among the immense crowds far easier. He waded through the sea of pilgrims, some speaking amongst each other while others prayed by themselves. He followed a group of pilgrims through one of the many side-paths that ran along the main structure, quietly slipping into an alleyway between two adjoining buildings. He proceeded away from the typical paths of pilgrimage, the gilded facade giving way to more mundane cement and metal the further he went. He came across a heavy door made of studded metal, hiding behind a corner as he noticed it begin to open. A man in drab robes walked out, followed by a large servitor carrying large palettes of empty storage crates.
Looks like a side door for maintenance. Leman thought.
When the man and the servitor had moved out of sight, Leman cautiously approached the door and looked through the smudged glass window embedded in it. He saw a long, empty hallway devoid of people.
Well, here's an entrance. Navigating the inside without being seen is another issue entirely. Leman thought.
He moved to grab the door's latch with his left hand, then began to feel a strange sensation shooting up his arm. He looked down and noticed that his brass gauntlet, which had shifted into a bracelet, was beginning to glow and vibrate subtly. Tiny arcs of blue energy shot between his hand and the door handle, and the door's frame seemed to be glowing and vibrating almost imperceptibly just as the gauntlet was. Tentatively, he turned the handle and the door slowly swung open. The inside of the door frame appeared… fluid, as if there were a thin layer of shimmering translucent liquid within. Leman closed the door, then opened it again. The effect was gone. He looked down at his hand, examining the bronze bracelet. This time, he concentrated on the bracelet intentionally, and felt the energy begin to surge within its crystalline inclusions. He opened the door one last time, stepping through the shimmering liquid.
His senses were inundated with a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, smells, and sensations, briefly disorienting him. He leaned against the wall of the hallway, which thankfully was still there. Trails of light followed his vision whenever he moved his head, causing him to rub his eyes in discomfort. Once he had regained his bearings, he stepped away from the wall and looked around. Everything was as he had seen it from the outside, an empty hallway leading into the distance. Yet, it seemed… ephemeral. Half-present. Like a dim fog, only it didn't obscure his surroundings; it was his surroundings.
It's like I'm in the warp again… only, everything is still here. Leman thought. The Immaterium has many layers… perhaps I am in one of the shallower depths, some kind of transient dimension between the Empyrean and Realspace.
He began to walk down the hall before he heard the door behind him begin to open.
It must be the man with the servitor. Leman thought.
Quickly, he looked around for a room he could hide in, spotting in a door to his left. Before he could reach the handle, the door began to open on its own. A young man in pristine, white robes stepped out, walking into the center of the hall and staring directly at Leman.
"You there!" he shouted.
Leman quickly tried to think of an excuse for him being there but was interrupted by the man behind him.
"Who, me?" the brown-robed man said.
"Who else would I be talking to?" the white-robed man said. "What happened to the servitor I sent you out with?"
The other man grumbled.
"Damned thing broke down at the trash dump." he said.
"Emperor damn it, we'll have to requisition another one. I don't want to have to deal with those red-robed freaks again." the man in white said.
They… can't see me? Leman thought. This will be helpful.
He brushed past the white-robed man, who seemed to shiver slightly.
"What's the matter?" The other man said.
"I… don't know, probably nothing." he said.
Leman moved through the halls of the great spire like a ghost, unseen and unheard.
Perhaps this is similar to how Corvus was able to hide himself in plain sight. Leman thought.
Leman had not seen his sullen brother in millennia, as Corax had disappeared into the Eye of Terror some time before he did.
It seems that all of us were driven by grief or regret to abandon the Imperium in one way or another. Leman thought. Perhaps it should have been no surprise to see what has become of it in our absence when some of its greatest champions chose to exile themselves over facing such an uncertain future.
Leman pushed down the welling feelings of guilt and regret which had driven him into the Warp all those millennia ago. He had wallowed in shame and remorse for far too long, now it was time for him to start facing reality rather than chase shadows in the Immaterium.
I mustn't give up hope. Leman thought. Father found Humanity at its lowest and lifted them out of Old Night. Perhaps, if united, my brothers and I can do it once again.
As Leman made his way through the complex, he began to realize that the geometry of this ghostly layer of unreality seemed to differ slightly from what everyone else fully in the Materium experienced. The general layout was roughly the same, but there seemed to be… slightly more. As if he were looking at normal 3-dimensional space from a 4-dimensional perspective. From certain angles he could see passages and doorways through rooms and corridors which didn't seem to exist and allowed him to move through the building as if he were sliding between the walls themselves.
That's a useful trick… but it's useless if I can't figure out where my destination is. Leman thought.
He came across a group of armed men, likely bodyguards from the Cardinal's retinue. They seemed to be changing shifts and briefing their replacements on their duties.
"The Cardinal wants the latest prisoner transferred to his personal interrogation room. Says he wants her to 'confess her sin' or whatever." The lead guard said. "You two, go into the cells and fetch her. You two, go relieve the men standing guard outside the Cardinal's study. There's a battle-sister there who'll fill you in on the details."
"Is she being relieved as well?" one of the guards said.
"Nah, she's stayin'... watches over the Cardinal like a hawk. Word to the wise, stay out of her way. She seems a few cards short of a deck, if you catch my meanin'." The head guard said, swirling his finger next to his head. "Well, even more than the average Sororitas. Just… do what she tells you, and you'll be fine."
Perfect. Leman thought. If I can reach the Cardinal before they deliver the prisoner, I might be able to divine his intentions… and intervene before it's too late.
He shadowed the two men who were sent to the Cardinal's study, following them as they ascended many flights of stairs and long hallways towards the peak of the holy spire. He trailed them from a distance, not wanting to rely solely on this new warp-walking ability in case there was some kind of unforeseen complication. Luckily, it seemed that no one could see him as he silently drifted through the shallow, half-material realm. The two guards reached a large door, and standing outside of it was the raven-haired Sororitas Leman had seen by the Cardinal's side at the parade.
"The Cardinal is busy right now; he mustn't be disturbed." Sister Ophelia said. "While I stand vigilant over the entrance to his study, I need you two to guard the primary exits on either side of the grand hall. That way, we can cover the entire floor. Come, I will show you where to stand to achieve the best coverage."
"Aye, ma'am." the two guards said in unison.
The Sororitas stepped away from the door and began leading the two guards down the hallway.
Now's my chance. Leman thought.
He emerged from the corner he was hiding behind, carefully approaching the door to the Cardinal's study. His footsteps were slow and delicate, making as little noise as possible even in this hidden dimension. He reached towards the handle of the door, hoping to slip in unnoticed. Suddenly, the Sororitas stopped in her tracks. Her head swung around in a flash, her eyes wide and staring straight in Leman's direction.
"Uh, something the matter ma'am?" one of the guards said.
She remained silent, slowly turning around to face the invisible Primarch. She had a dire expression cast upon her face, and she took a few steps towards the door to the Cardinal's study.
Can… can she see me? Leman thought.
The Sororitas was breathing heavily as she concentrated with a great deal of effort. Her eyes were unfocused, moving around in Leman's general direction as if trying to see something in the dark. She slowly unsheathed her power sword, the blade crackling to life with glowing blue energy.
"Who goes there!?" Ophelia shouted, taking a few unsure steps forward.
Leman slowly backed away, unsure if the woman could really see him or not. The two guards simply stared at the empty space in front of the Sororitas with a look of bewilderment. One of them looked at the other with a puzzled expression, who in response simply shrugged his shoulders.
"Reveal thyself!" she shouted.
She tightened the grip on her sword, beads of sweat dripping from her forehead. Then, in an instant, her eyes became focused - and zeroed in on Leman's exact location.
"INTRUDER!" she shouted, lunging forward with a slash from her sword.
In the mere seconds it took for the Sororitas to close the distance between her and Leman, the Primarch was hurriedly weighing his options. It was no question he could win a fight against this unaugmented human, even if she was armed with an impressive weapon. However, he did not want to blow his cover this quickly, before he could even recover the woman he came here to save. Moreover, he was not even sure if he could fight in this strange dimension. He did not know if this intangible state would be an advantage or disadvantage in combat. For all he knew, the sword might simply pass straight through him… not that he was willing to test that. He still needed to find a way into the Cardinal's study, preferably one that didn't involve going through this crazed woman. His eyes darted across his surroundings, and he noticed a strange corridor to his right. It looked less like a hallway and more like the stone walls had simply split open, the bricks and mortar perfectly carved in half straight down the middle.
That must be one of those strange in-between passages I kept encountering before. Leman thought.
Seeing no better options, he flung himself into the hidden corridor just as the blade of Ophelia's power sword was inches from his neck. The sword carved a gash in the stone wall, which glowed faintly on the edges as the bricks melted by the energized blade slowly cooled down. Ophelia stared at the wall in disbelief, pressing her hand against it as if expecting to find some kind of invisible doorway. She quickly turned to the two guards who had been watching her outburst with dumbfounded expressions.
"Sound the alarms and alert the head guard - tell him to call up the reserves. Prioritize guarding the Cardinal at all costs." Ophelia said.
"But-" one of them said.
"NOW!" Ophelia shouted.
The two guards raced back downstairs to alert their compatriots, barking into their vox communicators to sound the intruder alarms. Leman faintly heard the blaring klaxons ring out through the brick walls.
Well, this has gone poorly. Leman thought.
He inched his way through the cramped passage, his clothes tugging against the brick wall as he slid deeper. He had no idea where the tunnel would lead, but he was running out of options. He saw a light further down in the tunnel, emanating from the side of the wall. He dragged himself along the wall, finding himself standing in front of a door.
That's odd. Leman thought.
The light was pouring out of a keyhole, which Leman was just able to peer through by kneeling down in an awkward position. He was looking into the interior of some sort of office, filled with bookcases and an ornate desk. In the center of the room was a man in white robes, who Leman recognized as none other than Cardinal Bogomil. He had a worried expression and was pacing back and forth. He glanced over at one of his bookcases, removing a large tome from the shelf. The large book was bound in leather and sealed with a locked metal clasp. He took a key that was hanging around his neck and used it to unlock the seal. The book's pages unfurled, and the Cardinal flipped through them at a feverish pace. He stopped at one page, not to read its contents, but to remove a tattered and worn piece of cloth covered in strange runes that was hidden within the book. Leman tried to see what was written on the cloth, but it remained just out of sight. The Cardinal studied the cloth intensely, mouthing unintelligible words without speaking them. Suddenly, the door to his study burst open and caused the Cardinal to jolt with panic. He quickly crumpled the cloth in his hand, turning to see Sister Ophelia standing in the doorway.
"A-apologies for interrupting your meditation Cardinal, but I must alert you to a possible intruder in the building." she said.
The Cardinal exhaled, his shoulders relaxing a bit as his expression returned to normal.
"G-good, uh, thank you, Sister. Your help is much appreciated. Just, see to it that the prisoner is brought here soon… and search for that intruder, too. It is imperative that I am not interrupted while I am interrogating the witch." the Cardinal said.
"Understood, your Excellency." Ophelia said, turning and closing the door behind her.
The Cardinal quickly locked it from the inside. He unfurled the tattered cloth once again, his expression growing serious as he began to mouth the unseen glyphs. He gulped and took a deep breath, attempting to quiet his nerves. Then, after rehearsing another time, he spoke the words aloud. They were a series of strange guttural and rasping noises, just barely able to be produced by the human tongue. To any layperson they would have sounded like nonsensical gibberish, but Leman recognized them all too well.
The Dark Tongue... Leman thought. I should have suspected. A bit cliche, isn't it 'Cardinal'?
Black smoke began to waft from beneath the floorboards, filling the room with a tar-black miasma. Flecks of gold floated in the dark mist, slowly accumulating into the vague outline of a tall and imposing figure. Two blazing red points of fire erupted within the smoke, casting their gaze down on the frightened priest. Bogomil fell to his knees, too afraid to look his infernal master in the eyes.
"Bogomil…" the daemon said, with a low and gravelly voice. "... the ritual…"
"M-my master… the p-preparations for the ritual are a-almost complete." Bogomil said.
"Good… soon, this world will be under my dominion." the daemon said, forming an ethereal fist.