"Animis opibusque parati," The old man stated as he limped around the young woman dressed in her usual white short cut robe, her blonde hair hanging in a tight braid to her back as she stood at attention, her shield strapped to her hand as her blade remained sheathed at her side. "What does it mean?" the old man asked in command. "To always be prepared of mind and body, of resources and faith," the young woman stated as a matter of fact, her eyes unmoving from ahead of her. "Animus facit nobilem?" the old man quiered as he looked down to her from his hunched over position, "Do you believe this?" "The heart and spirit defines the quality and acceptance of the one above," The girl reiterated again, unflinching as the old man slid around her again. "How do we achieve this, guardian?" The old man continued as he stood behind her. "Devotion of our hearts and minds, purging of the impure and tainted who do not redeem themselves," The young woman stated again, seemingly unwavering in her tone. "If they do not and challenge the one above?" The old man stopped, gripping his staff tighter, "What will you do?" "Tolerate not the tainted mutant in our midst, dispose of it and sing praise to the light for it's hand in destroying it." The young woman narrowed her eyes as they slid to the sides of her vision, she spun and let out a short growl as a sword impacted against her shield.
The old man readied himself, pulling back the large blade with a rather haunting grin. "Then you prove this before me today Sila Von Soth, this begins your Acta Sanctorum!" The old man moved in again, swinging the massive sword as the young woman parried it against the stone beneath them, drawing her own blade as she jumped back, readying it as she raised her shield in front of her, the flat of the blade laying over the edge as it pointed to the old man.
The old man charged, swinging the heavy blade with an unearthly ease as Sila caught it with her own, shakily she held it aloft from her shoulder, her expression calm as she looked to the old man, raising her shield as he kicked at her, bouncing her back as the shield took the blow. She raised her shield and blade again as the old man charged again, slashing his blade towards her head. She sidestepped, smacking his hands with her shield and setting the blade off towards the ground as she connected the flat of the blade against the old man's head, sending him back as she held her ground, assuming her stance, sword pointed over her shield. "Yield," Sila stated in her firm tone. The old man laughed and bowed his head, "You have passed your first Acta Sanctorum Sila Von Soth and in doing so you have earned your charge of the Lady Rose." The old man motioned for her to sheathe her blade as he rubbed the rather large bump and gash on his forehead. "Praise the one above he has given you the strength to do this."
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The cold floor vibrated for a few moments as the roaring of the hover jets came to life. Her mind raced as she cleaned the drying blood from her neck then her arms and under her torn shirt to her chest and stomach. Her eyes wandered to the doorway, the voice still carrying the song beyond it. Her gray eyes focused on it for a few moments longer before turning to the Storm Bolter in front of her. She removed the drum, slowly counting the remainder of the rounds as her mind began to wander, slowly her counting ceased as her eyes remained fixated on the half empty drum.
Tears flowed as the young child sobbed, her hands coated in red blood as she closed her eyes tightly. "Father, why did they take you too?" She whimpered as she held to the mangled remains of her father's head, a mix of blood and flesh with the only true remains being his mixed hair of grey and brown. "Why did they take you and brother?" She continued sobbing against the head, her cheeks scraping some of the blood onto them. "Because that is what the mutant does child, it takes and takes till there is nothing good and right in it's path." A voice spoke softly behind her as the young girl stirred, brushing some of the bloody blond strands from her face as she sniffed. "Do you feel anger child? Do you feel hate for these creatures?" The older man asked as he moved beside her, his grey eyes focusing on hers as he placed his hands on her shoulders to console her. "I hate them! I want them all to die!" she screamed in her agony, holding tighter to the head of her fallen father. "Because they took from you, Thyratia? Is that why you want them all to die?" The old man asked kindly, his hands moving to alongside hers, patting her hugging hands against the head of her father. "They take families, I won't let them do that anymore!" the girl screamed in rage, her hands moving from her father as she reached for his sword. The old man took her hands and clasped them together, pulling her to her feet as he looked to her. "In time, you will be ready my child, but not this day. You must trust in me and the lord of the Golden Throne with all your heart to do what you seek." The young girls sobbing had stopped, her expression grew cold as her grey eyes remained unflinching on the old man. "Then I am Sila until I am ready," the girl spoke in an emotionless tone, her emotions cast aside save for the tears and stress from her eyes. "Then Sila Von Soth, take that sword and bring it with you, for I will reveal your task." The old man gave a rare and kind smile, rubbing his hand against her cheek, "I will teach you of the Heretic, the alien, and the mutant, I will show you how to hunt them, and I will show you how to purge their tainted darkness from your sight and from this world."
Her grey eyes wandered over the storm troopers as she set the drum back onto the bolter, her eyes moving again to the door as she pulled on a new shirt, removing the old one underneath as she did. "We are all tested, let us see if you can pass his angel," she spoke to herself, her eyes softening for a few moments before she shook her head, returning to her usual meticulous inspection of her gear as the hover copter began it's flight. She paused as she looked back across the room, the strange woman bearing the aquilan mark on her armor watched her intently, her eyes remaining still and unblinking on Sila. Sila's gaze did not falter, her eyes retained her usual calmness and emotionless state as she watched the woman for a few moments before beginning to see to her damaged carapace.
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"Thyratia," the chilling voice echoed as she snapped up, panting and sweating as she held the covers against her. The silence of the room around her only interrupted by the soft blue glow of the floor lights and dim shadows of the random furniture of her and Rose's small room. She pressed her shaky hands to her face, despite their cool touch she felt hot again. She slowly stood and kept her hand against the side of the bed and then the wall, making her way into the bathroom as it slowly illuminated, letting her eyes adjust naturally. She moves to the sink, watching as the water came out with nothing of her doing, her hands splashing the slightly warm water on her face before she slowly looked into the mirror, frowning as she looked at the dark circles under her eyes, the gashes and bandages still present on her cheek and nose. The pains were still ever so present in her mind, the numbness she felt as they became too much. She could still hear the sounds of the bolter fire, her eyes still clear when she saw them rip into the demon. She felt peace as she remembered darkness, silence and tranquility, a satisfaction as the flame was the last she saw.
Her eyes snapped back up to the mirror, for a brief moment she felt the skin on the back of her neck crawl. Perhaps her eyes and mind were tricking her again, so wary had she been since she saw the tall ones. Her hand reached and slowly closed the door as she set her sleeping clothes aside, climbing into the shower and laying her back against the side, the warm water helped calm her as she closed her eyes. Her fingers tracing over the still healing gashes, the strange sealant still slowly closing them. She started to drift again as she opened her eyes, looking back out into the bathroom through the steaming doors. "That was the best way for me to die," she spoke softly to herself as she sat there, simply enjoying the sensation of the water.
She stepped her way slowly back to her bed, sitting there with still slightly drenched hair as she looked over to where was Rose, a frown forming on her lips as she looked down. She exhaled and crawled back into the bed, staring at the ceiling as her mind wandered over all she had seen. She worried over Tzae and his condition, was thankful she had met the silent man, thankful for having such loyal and new friends in Serid who was (much to her gratefulness) a person under his armor. The machine worried her as he reminded her far too much of the dreadful terminators she saw. Then there was her only real family Rose, the one she was so torn about that it made her restless. She'd die for her, she always was willing to but now in this strange place she worried if she could anymore, if she would be able to keep her safe from what they were to face. She closed her eyes, exhaling deeply as she finally succumbed to the overwhelming fatigue she still suffered from.
to be continued...
She tied back her hair, tying it with the bit of cord as she took a deep and slow breath, her eyes closed as she shifted her feet forward, one ahead of the other. She raised her nose, her neck craning as it faced the ceiling, her arms outstretched as her bare feet and toes moved ever so slightly against the rounded edge. She felt silence around her, only her breathing remained as her legs tensed rigidly, her entire body holding deathly still as she slowly turned, her hands moving back to her torso and back as she slowly spun. Her head lowered as she felt her back and legs flex again, her knees bending as the balls of her feet held to the rounded edge, curling as her legs extended. She felt herself propel backwards, her feet leaving the ground as she pulled on her stomach muscles. She could sense the edge beneath her head as she flipped through the air, her legs pulling themselves over as she outstretched her arms again. She could smell the rounded edge beneath her as her toes touched the edges beneath, her torso snapping back up as her stomach and lower hip muscles tensed. She arched her back, holding her hands out straight as her ankles held firm, rebalancing her as she opened her eyes, the grey orbs looking ahead as she took a deep breath, her balance remaining intact on the beam. "Your arc of projection was off by seven degrees Lady Thyratia, I would suggest a change in the timing of your pullover to correct this as it would help the end balance tremendously," Mark spoke, the womanlike computer voice quite contradictory to it's name as the small computer unit sit on a table a few feet away. Sila looked over to the unit with a bit of disdain as she adjusted the rather tight workout uniform. "How much of a correction?" she asked rather politely to the unit as she looked about the room to the troops training in various areas of the gymnasium. "Processing a display to indicate such corrections," Mark continued as Sila back tucked off the beam, grabbing a towel as she dabbed her face and shoulders. "I will review it later, resume the original vids I was using Mark, if you would please," Sila addressed the small unit as the screen re-emerged to some rather old text with a few paintings and displays. "The information stored aboard reveals some original texts pertaining to Istvaan and it's victory pre-heresy as indicated. It seems the planet was so named after the last conquest. From your records it shows a complacent defunct in the adherence to Imperial stattutes. This was common among other planets and so led to the ascension of the Inquisitors and the Adepta Sororita," Mark continued to prattle on as she picked up the small unit, holding it in her hand as she made her way out of the gymnasium. "This of course is all bearing to my recollected knowledge from what you have given me and my own logic parameters. Is there anything else I should input into these deductions Lady Thyratia?" Mark asked as she made her way to her quarters, "At the moment you know more than I do Mark, all I know is what they have given me and you," Sila spoke as she entered the room, setting her bag onto her bed gently before sitting at her desk, setting Mark beside her.
...to be continued
Sun May 17, 2009 6:37 pm