• Published 17th Jan 2016
  • 13,800 Views, 2,518 Comments

The Empress Returns - iowaforever



Sequel to God Empress of Ponykind: Celestia returns to the Imperium of Man, taking the title of Empress one last time.

  • ...
37
 2,518
 13,800

PreviousChapters Next
3.04- Testing and Research

Testing and Research

“I understand that the Empress works in Mysterious Ways,” Ruth muttered. “But what in the name of sanity possessed Her to make Judith a Saint?” Mattias watched as Ruth buried her head in her hands, not even looking up as the Sister in question sauntered up to her.

“Aw, don’t feel so down, Ruth,” she chirped, grinning as she hefted her now gold-plated heavy flamer. “I’m sure the Empress had a good reason, and she made Frederik so pretty. Look, he’s even got a little blue skull!” she pointed to the sapphire skull and crossbones on the flamer’s fuel tank, the gem sparking as she pointed to it.

Ruth just gave another groan. “Perhaps it is punishment for some sin I have committed...” Mattias was not a priest, but he was certain that was not how the Empress worked. He would have said something before he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

“Mattias, can I talk to you for a moment?” Twilight asked. From her wet hair and hurriedly prepared robes Mattias guessed she had recently showered, but he pushed comments on her appearance out of mind as he followed her to a more secluded part of the hangar. Behind him, he could hear Judith singing something about her new Sainthood, but that too he deemed irrelevant.

“I see you are taking this development in stride,” he said once he was certain they were out of earshot.

“I’m doing what I can,” Twilight said, reaching into her robe and pulling out a notebook. “After I came down from whatever energy Judith was giving off after she gained the Element of Laughter, I almost just crawled back into my room to wait everything out...” she paused before shaking her head. “But no, that’s not what I needed. I got a notebook and started jotting down a couple theories about what we’re seeing here. I-It’s probably the only thing keeping me from relapsing right now...” Twilight passed the notebook to him, Mattias taking a moment to thumb through the notes. Most of it was in the looping hieroglyphs Twilight liked to write in, but there was enough Gothic peppered within that he understood what she was speaking of.

To a point.

“‘Psycho-Emotional Singularity’? ‘Paralleling summoning’?” Mattias frowned. “I don’t wish to sound rude, Twilight, but this makes no sense.”

“I know!” Twilight cried. “I said the same thing as I was writing it down!” she stopped, taking a moment to compose herself before continuing. “Back home, the Elements of Harmony manifested all at once when my friends and I used them to purify Luna, and only after a long trip through a variety of dangers and trials.”

“How is that any different than what we’ve been through?”

“You may notice we only have two Elements, not six.” Twilight pointed back to the Sisters, Mattias following her finger as his gaze fell upon Judith.

“Hey, look what I can do.” she brought her heavy flamer around, a brief pause hanging in the air before a torrent of pink and white flames roared from the weapon. “Pink and white! Oh Frederik, you’re so strong now!”

“... Please, keep talking before I start worrying about her setting my ship on fire,” Mattias turned back to Twilight. “So these Elements are not all manifesting at once.”

“Right, so I can’t just rely on my current knowledge of them to help us going forward.” Twilight took her notebook back and thumbed through a few pages. “So I started looking for parallels, anything that might be used to paint a bigger picture and help us in the future, and I think I’ve got a basic theory forming.

“Now, the Warp in this universe is more easily affected by strong emotions, probably from the constant abuse of Chaos and rogue psykers and the like. That in turn means that when a strong enough emotion is displayed, it fundamentally changes the makeup of the Warp and how it interacts with the material world.”

“But the Sisters aren’t psykers,” Mattias pointed out.

“Yes, but four of my friends back home aren’t unicorns and can’t use magic like I can.”

“Still, only psykers can have a lasting impact on the makeup of the Warp. The very nature of the place makes it more receptive to those that can push and pull against it, if my research into Angelique’s condition is anything to go by. Anyone else wouldn’t have been able to effect the Warp in the manner you described.”

“Normally I’d agree with you, but the Elements here and back in Equestria don’t act like normal Warpcraft,” Twilight turned a page before continuing. “See, normally to cast a spell I need to think of what I want to do, cast my soul into the Immaterium, and use the right combination of force and emotion to draw that power back to me and project it into reality. From what I’ve gathered from Rebecca, the Elements skip the soul casting and drawing back and go right to the result. So if they break the laws of magic in this universe that way, it stands to reason that someone without magic of any kind would be able to summon an Element if they had and extreme showing of that particular virtue.

“Rebecca gained the Element of Kindness when she healed Bianca on Rynn’s World. Healing is sometimes considered one of the ultimate forms of kindness, since you are going above and beyond to alleviate someone’s suffering in a time of need. Thus, a strong emotion in a desperate situation leads to a Sister healing her friend and gaining the Element.”

“And Judith?”

“Judith’s a little trickier since we’re talking about Laughter, which is more of an action than a virtue like Loyalty or Kindness...” She paused, blinking a few times before reaching into her robe to pull out a pencil. “Probably research into broader definitions of the Elements... Anyway, Judith helped me start to make peace with Mir’shen’s death, and got me to laugh and feel joy once more. Her persistence and desire to see me happy must have been enough to trigger the manifestation of Laughter... which adds another wrinkle considering the Element of Kindness came from nothing, but Laughter merely enhanced Frederik.”

“At this point I assume it was different in your universe, so I won’t even ask.” Mattias sighed. “So, what do we do with all this?”

“Well...” Twilight gave a sheepish grin, massaging the back of her head with a free hand. “See, so much of my notes are fragments, more or less, so that’s why I called you and the Sisters down here.”

“Why...?”

“I want five days, at least, to run a slew of tests on the Sisters to learn more about what’s going on here and how best to get the Elements to manifest.” Mattias blinked, his right hand tightening a moment before he spoke.

“Twilight, we don’t have the resources for a full study on these Elements,” he began.

“But we can’t risk missing the Elements manifesting if we don’t,” Twilight countered, snapping her notes shut. “All I need is one terminal and maybe one of Angelique’s psychic dampeners, that’s all. We’ll stay up here out of your way while you and the others finish repairing the ship, and I promise I won’t break anything.”

“While I’m sure you won’t intentionally do anything to harm the ship, there’s still too many variables at stake here. My grasp of the nature of Warpcraft is already limited compared to yours, but you just told me that these things break that nature even further. What if your experiments end up causing further damage, either to you or the Sisters?”

“The Elements aren’t that dangerous...” Twilight mumbled.

“I gathered, just...” Mattias sighed, bringing his hand to his forehead as he mulled over what next to say. “Circumstances are dire enough, and stepping too far into the unknown might pull us down further. Benevolent or not, it’s just not something I can risk right now.”

“Mattias, I know the Elements won’t harm us,” Twilight reached out, resting a hand on Mattias’ shoulder. “And for the first time since... well, I don’t know, probably before everything went wrong on Rynn’s World, I finally feel a sense of peace again. That the Elements are manifesting fully tells me we will win these wars and save the Imperium, and... that’s something I can’t give up.” her smile fell, but only just. “Mir’shen would not want me to lose hope so quickly...”

Mattias said nothing, looking at Twilight as she looked hopefully back up at him. In any other situation he could easily have said no, put her back on focus for getting help and then, perhaps, indulging in her quest for knowledge. But then Twilight was still recovering, and any small glimmer of hope right now would be...

Hope is the first step on the path to disappointment... but that has never slowed Twilight.

“Limited tests,” he said finally. “Only four hours a day, nothing too onerous or invasive, and I want to be able to observe your experiments myself.”

“I can work with that,” Twilight replied, her smile returning fully. “Thank you, Mattias. You really don’t know what this means to me.”

“If it helps you and the Imperium, I can venture a guess.” Twilight nodded, moving past Mattias as she approached the Sisters. The Sisters quickly gathered around her as she began to explain whatever experiments she had planned out, and all Mattias could do was quietly chuckle.

Twilight still had a way to go. But, at least, she appeared to be getting better.

...

Atop his tower on the Planet of Sorcerers, Magnus the Red brooded.

He had taken a form closer to his old human shape, slouching on his throne as he gazed forward. Any guards or minions who would have normally waited on him had been dismissed, leaving the Primarch alone in his thoughts. Off to the side a number of experiments and half-written treatises lay unsecured, their dark knowledge neglected as Magnus turned his thoughts to other matters.

Specifically, to the small violet flame suspended in a pentagram in the center of his floor.

Warpflame was more resilient than normal flames, but this one had far outlasted even the greatest fires Magnus had seen burning through the Immaterium. If anything, it had traced him through the Warp and reappeared after the battle of Solemnace, as if it were trying to torment him with its continued existence. Time and again he had tried to dismiss it, and when that had failed Magnus sought to contain it, the light taking the form it now held once the pentagram had been completed.

And Magnus could only brood.

“So, you seek to torment me further,” he grumbled, staring at the flame as it continued to dance. “Why? What gain do you have from doing this? What is it about this magic, about its caster, that makes it so special?” the flame would not answer him, twisting about within the constraints of the pentagram as he continued to watch. A more prudent sorcerer would have moved on, set the matter aside for something more likely to yield answers.

Chaos was never one for prudence.

Magnus would have continued brooding were it not for a disturbance within the Warp. A presence drew closer to him, shadows collection from the corners of the room to take shape before him. Magnus had shifted the pentagram out of sight, taking the flame with it, so only he appeared present when the image of Lorgar manifested.

“Magnus,” Lorgar said, giving Magnus a thin smile. “I see you have returned from Solemnace.”

“Such as it is,” Magnus replied, still not moving from his slump.

“Why so forlorn, brother?” Lorgar asked. “Have you tired as well of Alpharius’ games? I have heard rumors he staged a second attack on Commorragh instead of giving me the Anathema.” Lorgar’s image flared at this, Magnus saying nothing as he studied his brother’s displeasure. So Lorgar truly desires that sword... part of his Dark God’s plan, perhaps?

“It matters not,” Lorgar continued, calming down as his smile returned. “As it stands, I have a mission for you, and... oh, how shall I put it, a nice gift for you.”

“Forgive me if I grow weary of gifts,” Magnus said, his eye briefly drifting to where he was using Lorgar’s treatises as a doorstop.

“Ah, but this one I think you will like.” the image of Lorgar faded, replaced instead by a frozen planet Magnus knew well. Fenris. “Leman Russ has returned from the Eye of Terror, nipping at our heels like the dog he is. He will no doubt link up with the Loyalists in the south, and perhaps provide a stalling point for our advance against the Imperium.

“Brother, your hatred against the Wolves is strong, stronger than any other slight against you. What better way to heal this wrong by striking down the Wolf on his own land?” Magnus said nothing as Lorgar returned. “Mortarion is amassing a fleet to strike Fenris and draw Russ away from Agrippina, where the Loyalists make their stand. You will join him, and I give you free reign to do whatever you please with Fenris and its citizens.” Lorgar chuckled. “I can already think of a few uses for some of the rabble’s spare parts.”

“... Hmm.” Magnus shifted slightly in his chair, but said nothing more. Lorgar blinked at this.

“‘Hmm’? Did you just say ‘hmm’?” he sputtered, his spectre drawing closer to Magnus. “Brother, I am giving you a chance to extract your vengeance against the Wolves and Russ and all you can say is ‘hmm’?!”

“As shocking as it may seem to you, there are other matters that interest me more at this time,” Magnus rose, returning to his daemon form to tower over the spectre. “I am the Master of the Thousand Sons and Lord of the Immaterium; I can enact vengeance on the Wolves whenever and wherever I please. But now I have a chance for a far greater prize than even Russ’ head.”

“Really?” Lorgar crossed his arms. “For fifteen thousand years you have plotted vengeance for Prospero. It has been your obsession, the driving force behind all you have done since you learned the Truth of Chaos. What could be so important that you would turn away from that at a moment’s notice?!”

“The girl from Rynn’s World was on Solemnace, and I have stolen some of her magic.” Lorgar’s expression dropped, the spectre drawing away as Magnus gave a smile of his own. “Do I have your attention now, brother?”

“... did you kill her?” Lorgar asked.

“No. By some quirk of fate or the nature of her powers she escaped before I could land a final blow.” Magnus shifted his hand, bringing the flame back to the center of the room to show Lorgar. “But this spark remained, and I intend to study it so I might learn more about our enemy and what sorcery she uses.”

“It would be better if you captured the little witch instead of merely toying with some paltry flames.” Lorgar scoffed. “I wish to see her suffer for all she has done in defying me.”

“That is something you will never understand about the Warp, Lorgar. Not everything can be solved with mere brute force, as easy as it may seem at times. This flame does not act like any Warpflame I have seen, and it appears to have some control over itself. Were I to just ignore it we would miss a wonderful opportunity to turn this power for our own use, perhaps strike the Emperor with power she thought was only hers to control.” Lorgar fell silent, Magnus waiting for his eventual agreement. As lofty as he could be sometimes, the other Primarch appeared to be far more short sighted these days.

Perhaps following the Dark God so closely has rotted his mind...

“Fine.” Lorgar said. “Take whatever time you need. Just know that the attack on Fenris will still go as planned, with or without you.” Magnus’ hands tightened, but Lorgar did not draw further attention to this as he began to fade from view. “I look forward to your discoveries, Magnus. And if you find that girl again, bring her to me alive.”

“If possible,” Magnus said, the last of the apparition snuffing out before Lorgar could get another word in. Magnus waited a minute, in case Lorgar returned to blather on about some other matter, but when he was certain he would not be disturbed her turned his attention to the flame.

He shifted his powers, tracing out a Rhino-sized portion of the floor before raising his hand. With a rumble of grinding stone the section rose up, shifting until a large table had formed. That task complete, Magnus reached out and pulled a blank tome from another table, the book coming to a rest near the flame as Magnus conjured a pen.

“Mark now, my findings on this spark created by the Student of the Emperor of Mankind,” he said, the pen etching his words onto the paper as he directed all his focus on the flame. “For now it has taken the form of a small violet flame, perhaps half a meter in diameter, and...” Magnus reached out with his powers, magic twisting around and probing at the flame. “... And it appears to burn of its own accord. There is no underlying weave, no incantation or singularity that holds it to where it stands, it just... is.”

Magnus furrowed his brow. Perhaps Lorgar’s methods might be applicable here. Magnus focused, shifting forms once more as he reached out to the flame. It shrank from his reach at first, but soon the flame returned to its normal dance as Magnus lightly brushed his hand against it.

There was a hiss before Magnus jerked his hand back, pain flashing through his arm as he looked down at his palm. He had barely touched the flame, and yet it had left a sizeable burn across his hand, white scar tissue clashing with red flesh. Even shifting back into his daemon form did not dismiss the scar, the wound throbbing as he tried and failed to apply magic to heal it.

“Strange,” he mused, his pen continuing to etch out his thoughts. “It did not do that when the girl first struck me... perhaps its nature has changed?

“I will need some test subjects.”

...

“This thing is heavy,” Rebecca said, rolling her head to try and make the rewired psychic dampener fit properly. “Are you sure this is necessary, Tara?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Tara said, stepping up to jam a cable into one socket on the dampener. “See, if the Elements are acting like normal psychic powers, which they aren’t but you always need a control, then when you use the Element of Kindness it should show heightened brain activity as the psychic powers work through your mind and out into the Warp. But since it isn’t and you aren’t a psyker to begin with, it should show up as blank when you use the Element.” Rebecca worked her jaw as she tried and failed to come up with a good counter to this. Maybe Judith’s ascension to Sainthood did something to her mind...

“Anyway, you just stand there and do your thing, and I’ll be over at the terminal keeping an eye on things.” Tara hurried back to her terminal, shooing Lord Mattias out of the way before flipping a few switches and looking up at Rebecca. “Okay, whenever you’re ready.”

“Tara, I’ve never used the Element of Kindness when there’s no one that is injured,” Rebecca started, massaging the narthecium as she continued. “I don’t know if your experiment is going to work.”

“Just do what you normally do when someone’s injured.” Tara gave her a smile. “Go on, it can’t be that hard.” Rebecca said nothing, looking back down at the Element of Kindness while the dampener shifted on her head. Tara’s methods were... well, Judith made a little more sense. But if it helps her recover from Mir’shen, she thought I should do all that I can.

She closed her eyes, bringing the narthecium up to her chest as she reached back through her memories. She thought of Rynn’s World, of healing Bianca and helping those bearing the brunt of the Tyranid attack. She closed her hand and furrowed her brow, the metal from the dampener pressing into her scalp as she tried to conjure something, anything that would help Tara in her quest for... understanding?

That didn’t seem like the right word...

“Is anything happening?” she asked, opening one eye to peer out at the others. Tara was too focused on her terminal, scribbling on a notepad as her eyes flicked back and forth.

“No...” Tara said, looking back up at Rebecca with a grin. “Just like I predicted! If it were actual psychic powers I would have seen something, but-”

“Tara, nothing actually happened,” Mattias interrupted. “You’ve seen what the healing process for the Element looks like; there’s usually some kind of glow around the Element when it’s in use.” Tara’s grin vanished, replaced by a scowl as she looked back at the screen. Rebecca wanted to inch closer and perhaps get an idea of what it was Tara was seeing, but instinct and the dampener told her to stay put.

Besides, what business do I have looking into research?

“... Can’t believe I forgot about that,” Tara grumbled. “Okay, so it doesn’t work on it’s own... or if it does Rebecca’s not giving it the right psychic inputs. I need a volunteer.”

...

Two Tzaangors entered Magnus’ study, the birdlike mutants dragging a shackled slave between them. Magnus loomed over them, waving his hand to produce a small bowl before the group as they came to a stop.

“This ritual calls for blood,” he said. “Be fortunate that you have been selected to help complete my great work.” The prisoner was twisted around, one Tzaangor pulling a jagged knife from a pouch on its belt before reaching towards the prisoner’s throat.

“No, not that much blood,” Magnus said quickly, drawing the Tzaangors’ attention back to him. “I only need a small amount. Perhaps the hand will be more useful.” The Tzaangors stood there for a moment, looking up to their master with confusion. Finally the one with the knife seemed the get the idea, yanking the prisoner’s hand over the bowl before quickly slicing the knife across the palm. A small trickle of blood pooled within the bowl, Magnus drawing it back up as he turned back to his workplace and the bench.

“The flame is not of Chaos, but its reactions with the powers of the Warp must be documented,” he said, etching out a small summoning circle with a claw as he continued. “A lesser daemon will be adequate for such an experiment.” the summoning circle complete, Magnus poured the contents of the bowl into the grooves, blood flowing down the etched stone. The blood shifted until it was a bright pink, light filling the space around the pentagram as a being began to take shape.

The creature was typical of most Horrors of Tzeentch: a head with a beaked mouth and several gangly arms and legs. The daemon chortled as it bounced away from the summoning circle, small bits of Warpflame training after it as it searched for a victim, for purpose. Magnus twisted his hand to bring the Student’s Flame back towards the center of the table, catching the Horror’s eye as it drew closer.

“Daemons react negatively to most forms of Order, so perhaps this one may attack the Flame. Let’s see how it counters.” Magnus watched as the Horror circled the flame, gibbering away in the twisted language of daemons as it studied this new power. The flame did nothing, just continued its dance as the daemon circled, Magnus jotting down a few notes as he continued his observation. Finally the Horror hissed, jumping away and flinging a few bolts of Warpflame at the spark, all of which missed or fizzled out when striking it.

“Interesting...” Magnus mused. “But I was hoping for a more... direct result.” before the Horror could react, Magnus seized it with his magic and tossed it into the flame, the daemon shrieked in surprise and fear as it hurtled towards the fire.

As soon as the Horror touched the flame, it sprung up to consume the daemon like a predator attacking an unsuspecting victim. The daemon let out another shriek as violet flames wrapped around its body, its arms flailing as it dissolved into the fire. Finally the room fell silent, Magnus standing alone as he reached out into the Warp for any sign of the daemon.

He found none. Not even the slightest residue that the Horror had ever been there. It was as if the flame had completely and utterly erased it from existence.

“Most interesting...” he mused. “With it being anathema to Chaotic power, handling directly may cause further injury. I will need more information on its base nature before I can proceed further.” he turned to where the two Tzaangors were waiting. “Bring me more slaves.”

...

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Tara asked, watching as Veronica pulled her combat knife free from her belt and examined it.

“Tara, we have all seen how this Element works, and the simple thing is that there are no more injured personnel aboard this ship between my sister’s healing and Bianca’s labors,” Veronica turned her attention back to her hand. “One of us has to make a sacrifice, and I am more than happy to do so.”

“B-but my idea would have worked just fine,” Tara protested, drawing a few glances from the assembled Sisters.

“Tara, fake bandages and a sob story about a Tyranid attack are not going to fool an artifact as powerful as you’ve described these Elements.” Naomi said, her voice flat.

“... I thought it would be fine...” Tara mumbled, drawing away and tucking her hands against her stomach. Veronica’s gaze softened, and she drew her knife back before turning to face Tara.

“I know you do not wish to see any more of us injured on our journeys,” she said, keeping her voice soft. “Have faith, Tara, in us and the powers you hold dear, and none of us will come to lasting harm.” Tara wrung her hands, but soon she gave a small nod and wandered back to her work station. She said something to Mattias Veronica could not hear before turning back to the group.

“Okay, we’re going to perform a live test with an injured subject,” she started. “As much as I hate it, we have no other uninjured personnel, so Sister Veronica has volunteered to be our... subject. Veronica, whenever you’re ready.” Veronica nodded, turning back to her hand as she shifted the knife in her hand. She took a short breath before slicing downward, a trickle of blood flowing from the wound and down her arm. Rebecca quickly took Veronica’s hand in her own, closing her eyes as she tightened her grip and a soft glow enveloped the two.

Veronica felt a shift, a soothing presence flowing from her sister’s hand and through her arm. The pain in her hand subsided, and she could feel her skin and flesh gently knitting itself back together. Finally the glowing stopped, Rebecca drawing back as Veronica inspected her hand, now completely uninjured.

“Did that work, Tara?” Veronica asked, the Sisters drawing back to Tara’s terminal as she continued to jot down her notes. She paused, drumming her pencil against her chin as her eyes darted back and forth between her notes and the screen.

“This...” she finally said, her brow furrowing. “This is good, very good. Frustrating, but still good.” she made a few more notes before continuing. “There was definitely some kind of energy flowing through Rebecca when she used the Element... not Warp energy, but we’ve already established that.”

“So... what does that mean for all of us?” another pause.

“I... I think that’s enough for tonight.” Tara snapped her book shut before turning to the Sisters. “I’ll go over these notes and prepare some tests for Judith tomorrow. When I’ve got everything down, then I can present my findings and we will know what we are dealing with here.”

“Will you be needing us for anything more?” Ruth asked. Tara’s hand tightened, her eyes darting between the Sisters and Mattias. Finally, she allowed a small smile.

“Well... I will be needing some help getting my notes together...” her smile grew wider. “I would love your help.”

...

Nine groups of nine slaves had been assembled on nine points of Magnus’ summoning circle, Tzaangors forcing the humans to their knees as they were chained in place. Magnus waited, allowing his power to flow through the carving and around the slaves as he prepared the ritual. Once the slaves were in place, the Tzaangors withdrew to the edge for the room, allowing Magnus to step from the shadows.

“I call upon the powers of the Warp, for I am its lord and master,” he said, raising his blade as the circle began to glow. The slaves tried to squirm free, but the Tzaangors did their work well and not a single one could escape their chains. “Come to me, masters of magic! Come to me and reveal those secrets you have denied me! I am Magnus, Lord of the Thousand Sons, and by my command you shall rise!” With that he slammed the hilt of his halberd into the center of the circle, blue tendrils snapping upward and wrapping around the slaves. The prisoners screamed, trying and failing to break free as Magnus ripped their souls to shreds and sent them to oblivion. He pulled against the Immaterium, tearing reality asunder as he drew forth a being who could help him with his research.

There was a flash, shadows filling the room as Magnus stepped back. A shape began to materialize from the shadows, a hunched figure shifting about to face the Primarch. Its four arms drew comparison to the Horrors, but it possessed the body of a man and the legs of a bird. Half of its face was “normal”, a thin-cheeked humanoid with four eyes and small horns, but the rest was naught but a swirling mass of Warp Energy. It drew its hand forward to materialize a silver stave before turning to face Magnus, floating on some dark energy as it probed the edge of the summoning circle. “You are the daemon called the Archivist,” Magnus said. “I have need of your knowledge.”

“Magnus...” the creature hissed. “I am surprised it has taken you this long to summon me for my secrets...”

“I had no need for questions on more trivial matters, things that one such as you would not bother to consider.” Magnus drew his hand forward, summoning the spark as he continued. “But you are said to be unmatched in the knowledge of the most twisted and obscure powers of the Warp. Perhaps this might be within your purview.”

“Perhaps...” The Archivist drifted, its humanoid face shifting into the semblance of a frown as it inspected the flame. “Where did you find this?”

“A girl marches beneath the shadow of the Anathema. She cast this spell on the dead world of Solemnace before escaping my grasp.” Magnus’ injured hand tightened. “Its energies are unknown to me, save that they counteract the powers of Chaos in every way imaginable and will destroy all that have spawned from it if allowed direct contact.”

“And so you summon me to try and save your own hide,” the daemon said, drifting back from the circle to put distance between the flame and itself. “I have heard of such powers before. In the closing days of the War in Heaven the Old Ones tampered with similar powers to try and create mighty weapons to use against the Star Gods and our own fledgling kind... Obviously, they failed.”

“She channels the powers of the Old Ones?”

“I cannot say for certain. I will need time to research,” The Archivist spread its hands, six tomes and a number of scrolls materializing before it as the daemon turned once more to face the flame. Magnus watched as the creature sped through the tomes at a pace the greatest of men could barely track, arcane power swirling around the Archivist as it pulled from countless eons of knowledge to try and understand the truth of the flame. Several times it reached for the flame, probing it with its magic long enough to draw some energy forth but not long enough to be harmed by it.

As the daemon did its work, Magnus mulled over the possibilities. A power similar to the Old Ones’ could be devastating against the Imperium, just as much as it could wreak havoc upon the forces of Magnus and his brothers. Though perhaps I might be able to bend this power further... Without alerting Lorgar, of course.

“Frustrating, most frustrating,” Magnus snapped back to the present as the Archivist dismissed its tomes. “There is nothing among the knowledge of the Old Ones that matches this energy signature, not enough to draw a direct comparison.”

“I see,” Magnus said, his frustration flaring for the briefest of moments before he continued. “Perhaps in their failings one of their successors might have investigated further?”

“If they did, I would have told you that,” the Archivist countered. “Nothing from the tomes of the Eldar, Mankind, even what little I could rip from the minds of some orks, nothing matches the singularities of this spark. It’s resistance to the Warp is one thing, but if my studying has been correct it also draws on that very same power as well.”

“It cancels out the Warp and yet empowers it at the same time?” Magnus asked, one eyebrow raised. That made little sense, even for the powers of the Warp. “How? You have studied it, how does it do this? What is it that makes that damn girl so special that she can create and control contradicting magical energies as if it were nothing?”

“I don’t know.” Magnus turned away. Of course asking a daemon to explain to him the intricacies of what he as dealing with would produce no fruit. Perhaps I should have hunted her down and captured her for torture instead, taken Lorgar’s approach to this.

“But...” the Archivist continued. “There are rumors of one who might know.” The words struck Magnus like a fusillade of bolter shells. He turned as the Archivist drew forth a small scroll, the daemon passing it to the Primarch before continuing. “On a planet far on the Eastern Fringe resides a creature that knows of the paths between realities. It is said to understand and practice magics beyond even the greatest of sorcerers.”

“Do you know anything about this creature beyond its location?” Magnus asked. He hesitated taking the scroll, lest the daemon try some foolish attempt at a backstab; instead, he reached his magic through the summoning circle, preparing to dismiss it and send the creature back to the Warp along with its traps.

“No. That information has been lost to time,” The Archivist replied. “I care not what you end up doing with this information.”

“We shall see,” Magnus tapped the edge of the circle with his blade, breaking the summoning to dismiss the Archivist from the Materium. “Know this, daemon; if your information on this source is false, then my vengeance against you will make you wish for a true death.”

“Such is the risk in times like this. Perhaps when all this is done, you will be the one to wish for a release.” And with that the daemon disappeared, plunging Magnus’ study back into darkness save for the light given off by the scroll and the Student’s Flame. Alone once more, Magnus plucked the scroll from the air with his magic, turning it over to ensure the daemon had not left a trap for him to discover. Sensing none, he opened the scroll and scanned through its contents, new plans forming in his mind as he read through.

The daemon was not as helpful as I had hoped, he mused. But perhaps this lead will bear more fruit than I realize.

...

Deep within the bowels of the cruiser, the coffin waited.

It has sat undisturbed since the ship passed through the Warp, a shrine to heroes lost that none would dare disturb. Aside from one or two of the ship’s crew coming to clean the site or pay their respects, it remained largely ignored in the daily bustle of repairs and preparations.

But soon, the flame within sensed something. A new energy, unlike anything it had encountered before. The energy seeped downward, twisting around as the spark within the coffin examined it. It was pure, virtuous, everything good that the flame knew of Mankind manifest in one tiny spark.

That was all the coffin needed.

Deep within the bowels of the cruiser, the coffin clicked open.

Author's Note:

Hope you've gotten your vuvuzelas ready...

I would have gotten this chapter out sooner, but I just moved four hours south of where I used to live and that's taken up a lot of time.

Thanks again to Deatheater55 for editing help. Likes and comments are always appreciated, and if I screwed something up please let me know.

PreviousChapters Next