Saeva Abyssi Chapter 29

The void between stellar systems was infinite and empty, an endless expanse of nothingness. Here wandered only stray atoms and lost asteroids, long since cast out from the warmth of their respective suns. Imperial ships avoided this place, risking the roiling insanity of the Warp rather than the centuries of drifting it would otherwise take. Yet today something was moving with a purpose.

In the eternal blackness the Shadow of the Emperor leisurely cruised on minimal thrust. It had made a short warp-hop to evade pursuit and now it was safe, here in this place where no one ever came. Deep within the Shadow's bowels was a profane temple, it was laid out like a classic chapel but its details were cruel mockeries of imperial faith. The walls were painted with icons celebrating the Dark Gods of Chaos, the braziers burned with unspeakable vapours and the altar was stained with blood.

Behind that altar a giant warrior was stood in full armour, bearing his double-headed axe in a tight grip , it was Gamma. He was here as both protection and insurance and he was glowering in stern disapproval. Before him another giant was kneeling, with his eyes closed and hands clasped. It was the Sorcerer Beta and he knelt unarmed and unarmoured, dressed only in a short robe. Even without his plate he was a looming giant, corded with swollen muscles and old scars. His flesh was inked with many tattoos, each one an eldritch and arcane symbol steeped in mysticism and hidden meanings.

The two of them were facing a ritual circle carved into the floor, filled with shimmering silver liquid that glowed with light reflected from somewhere other than reality. The lines formed multiple encircling wards and etheric barriers, but not just one for there were eight of them lapping over each other. Stood within those circles was a cultist with vile runes carved into his naked flesh. The cultist had his arm outstretched and a joyous look was upon his face; expectation of a transcendent reward for the sacrifice of his flesh.

Gamma had been firmly against this ritual summoning but he had been told it was necessary. Bargains had been struck and no one, not even the Alpha Legion, took such pledges lightly. One did not discard a deal with a Daemon without dire consequence. For hours they had held their positions as the ritual proceeded but Gamma had been on a hair trigger the whole time, ready and waiting for anything to happen. Suddenly the cultist froze, limbs locked into rigid positions and his eyes widening. Gamma gripped his axe tightly and waited for reality to rip apart.

This was a dangerous moment, when one summoned a being of the Warp there was no telling what would answer the call. Yet the Cultist did not explode into gore or grow fangs and horns, he merely stood silently for long seconds, frozen in place. Then finally something happened, his flesh rippled and from his back sprouted a pair of tiny wings that grew rapidly. They swiftly swelled into mighty pinions, shimmering with all the hues of the rainbow and extending down to brush the deck. His head lowered and he had a wide grin upon his face. He blinked for a moment and when his eyes opened they were no longer human but bottomless pits within which stars were born and died. The soul of the cultist was gone, sent not to the promised reward but instead to an eternity of suffering. Now, something other ruled his flesh.

His smile widened even more and from his mouth came multiple overlapping voices of men and women all saying as one, "I am the Harbinger of Tzeentch."

Gamma's spine shuddered at the Daemon's proclamation but Beta didn't seem concerned as he acknowledged, "Harbinger: as expected."

Harbinger cocked its stolen head and said, "What no pleasantries? How rude of you Beta, I thought we were friends."

Beta raised an eyebrow and said, "Friends with a Daemon? I think not."

"That makes me sad," sniffed the Daemon.

Beta snorted and said, "Quit playing for time, I know you are trying to burn through the wards. That's why I took the liberty of placing more than one."

Gamma glanced down and saw that the first line of shimmering silver had already evaporated, the Daemon having dissolved the ward into vapour. Harbinger tutted and remarked, "Not bad, from the Book of Magnus if I'm not mistaken. You should take care when relying on his research; he's not as clever as he thinks he is."

Beta ignored that and stated, "We have business to discuss."

"How ungrateful," commented Harbinger, "Without my tip-off you would never have known where to hide the Shadow before the battle even commenced. Without me, you would never have known how to block the Farseer's foresight."

"For which you were compensated," remarked Beta, "The Farseer was left alive as you demanded and the Dark Eldar were given plenty of opportunities to escape."

Harbinger nodded saying, "Yes and the changes already underway please Tzeentch. Not to mention it delights a certain Daemon of Slaanesh, tasting the soul of a Farseer is a rare delicacy. You cannot imagine what Fulgrim was willing to exchange for that."

The words sounded conciliatory but Gamma saw that as they spoke the second ward had dissolved; the Daemon was pushing to break free. Gamma tightened his grip on his axe and growled, "Stop stalling, just get on with it."

Harbinger looked over at him and exclaimed, "Oh Gamma, ever so blunt. You should take more care, did you know if Beta hadn't scooped you up as a child then you would have died long ago. Killed by a ganger at fourteen years old, all for speaking out of turn."

Beta snarled, "Forget the past, the future is all that matters."

Harbinger laughed and said, "Always the way with you isn't it, moving forward and never daring to look back. You leave a trail of dead in your wake: Indrago Theed, Vorshaan, Master Korswan, Habreal Gorch. On and on all the way back to the Unbroken Chain cell. Tell me did you ever disclose what really happened to them?"

The third ward dissolved and Beta snapped, "If you don't tell me what I want to know I will banish you right now."

"No you wont, you need my foresight, you need to know what will come next," Harbinger stated, "I will tell you this: the Age of the Imperium is over and the End Times have begun. The victory of Chaos is at hand, Gods and Demi-gods will walk the worlds of men once more… and the Primarchs too."

"Primarchs!" spat Gamma in shock, "Loyalist or Traitor?"

"Both," disclosed Harbinger with a laugh, "The board is set and the pieces are all lined up, all that remains is to play."

The fourth ward dissolved and Beta barked angrily, "The Primarchs are obsolete, the Traitors are enslaved and the Loyalists gone, even if they could return they cannot change anything."

Harbinger gazed at him with interest and asked, "And what of your own Gene-Fathers?"

Beta angrily uttered, "Alpharius and Omegan are no more."

"Are they?" inquired Harbinger with a grin, "You should take care Beta: your dead do not rest easily and they are closer than you think.

Beta snarled, "The twin-Primarchs have been eliminated, I made sure of it!"

Harbinger exclaimed merrily, "The Hydra has died many times before and has always returned."

Gamma saw that the fifth Ward had dissolved and unnatural shadows were growing in the corners of the temple. Beta saw it too and growled, "Enough of this; I am banishing you right now."

"Now, now," said the Harbinger with a consoling expression, "No need for haste, tell me what it is that you desire, I want to help."

Gamma eyed the Daemon suspiciously but Beta held up a data-crystal and demanded, "The gene-tech, how do I use it? The Harrowmaster wants his weapons; he wants a Legion of superior Chaos Marines."

"The Harrowmaster?" mused Harbinger, "You really shouldn't trust him: he has designs beyond those you know."

The sixth ward dissolved and as the shadows stretched out, making silhouettes of men with long fingers. Gamma grew angry and barked, "Tell us what we need to know!"

Harbinger smirked and said, "Do you really think that you lot are the only ones attempting to improve the Gene-seed, Fabius Bile has been working on the same thing for millennia."

Beta snorted in dismissal and replied, "You think we don't know about him, his efforts are doomed. His research was corrupted before he even began, he will never make a stable product. We want real advancement."

Harbinger tapped his chin with a long finger and said thoughtfully, "Hummm… then I suggest you look into the secrets of Mars. There is a Magos called Belisarius Cawl who has some information you will find most interesting. Of course he would never give it to the likes of you."

Beta shrugged and said, "Infiltrating his followers should be no difficult thing, we can obtain what we need with no-one being the wiser."

"Yes a delightful change," remarked Harbinger, "I delight in knowing that I played a part in it. I look forward to seeing what you do next."

Gamma saw that the seventh ward was gone, leaving only one left. He raised his axe as the shadows closed in but Beta had already begun chanting the ritual banishment. The Harbinger began to fade, his wings evaporating and the flesh of his host withering before their eyes. The Daemon didn't seem disappointed though, merely looking at them levelly as if he had already accomplished his goal. As the stars in his eyes faded his voice echoed as if from a great distance, "Take heed of what I said: your dead do not rest easily and they are closer than you think."

At last the Harbinger faded away, letting its host's body fall to the floor in a withered, decayed state. Silence fell and mercifully the shadows retreated back to their allotted places. Gamma glanced down and shuddered to see that there was only one ward left, Beta had cut that one far too close for comfort.

Beta sighed and stood up but Gamma queried, "What was all that supposed to mean?"

Beta shrugged, making his many tattoos writhe as he said, "Ignore it, Daemons delight in spreading confusion and turmoil. If you dwell on its words they will twist your sanity and make you a puppet to the Warp."

Gamma sighed in gladness that this was over and said, "So where next?"

Beta replied, "Set course for Legion outpost Kappa-tango-3, we will start our preparations there."

Gamma nodded and set off to make it so, marching out with his head held high. Beta watched him go, standing still and silent until he was alone. When he was sure that he was unobserved the Sorcerer let out a tense breath and laid a hand upon the altar, simply breathing for a moment. Then he depressed a small rune causing a faint a click and a whir.

Behind the Sorcerer a small panel slid away in the far wall, revealing a cavity beyond. Beta turned and slowly approached, seemingly reluctant to enter. Yet enter he did, stepping into the dimly lit hole in the wall. Contained within was an odd assortment of dusty fossils, scraps, remnants of ancient battles and times long gone.

There were broken pauldrons and cracked greaves, blackened bolt pistols and shattered gauntlets, sundered chestplates and pierced helms. It was a motley assortment of parts, each different and unique yet they shared one common feature. Each one was emblazoned with a ring made out of linked loops, an eternal circle: the mark of an Unbroken Chain. Beta paused as he gazed at them, then he reached out and picked up a broken helm. He ran a finger around the mark painted on its brow and sighed sadly. Softly he whispered, "I am sorry Brothers, I wish it could have been different. I wish Alpharius had…"

Then he stopped speaking and roughly slammed the helm back into place. He stepped back and let the door slide close once more, before turning and marching briskly away. As he did so his robe shifted slightly and moved across his back, exposing another tattooed symbol upon his shoulder. It was old, faded and almost covered by other icons. It was a simple ring formed out of linked loops, making an eternal circle.

The mark of an Unbroken Chain.