Kahn
August 16th, 2011, 01:31 AM
This is a Warhammer 40K fan fiction. It's just the start, and I've written more, but I won't post it here considering almost none of you know the background to the story. If you take the time to read it and like it, I'll gladly send you more. For now, here it is.
Just a note: I don't expect any of you to read this.
----
He looked into the broken temple. When he had visited the first time, there had been marble columns supporting the elegant structure. All of it lay in ruin now. In the back of the main room a wall had collapsed in on itself. The sunlight from the dwarf star the planet orbited bled through the roof. Women and children lay slain about him, his men looking for survivors, anyone that can tell them what happened. They must have taken shelter here during conflict, he supposed. Dread and the pungent odor of death hung in the air. He’s experienced death many times before, but taking the lives of innocent children; children of the Emperor, was not just.
His name was Captain Tacitus of the Malevolent Crusaders 1st company, and here he was on Aroban, a small, desolate world with only a few major cities and small outlying villages. They were sent to suppress what they believed to be widespread riots. The number of dead soared within days of the riots beginning, and soon enough, the world was in civil war. The Imperial Guardsmen were supposed to hold their own against the civil uprising, but, as the will of the weak is easily broken, even they had turned on each other. The following massacre ensued.
“Sir, we’ve found someone. The man was a few kilometers outside of the city.” Hope exploded in the Captain’s breast. The fact that the indigenous population had been able to destroy an Imperial army surprised him, but what more surprised him was the fact that there was no survivors, save the one that they had just discovered.
“Take me to him. Our questions need to be answered.”
“We need a Rhino dispatched to the Temple. Captain Tacitus wants to see the survivor.” The Marine saluted the Captain and continued his search. The Captain thought to himself; how had they been so late? As they entered the system, the first shots had just been fired in this city. It couldn’t have been just the Imperial Guardsmen. There had to be something more to it, and-
“You are right.” He heard a shrill, hoarse voice whisper. He’d heard nothing like it before. The sound of it sent chills down his spine.
“Who said that?” he responded. The Marines in the Temple looked at him in confusion, as if nothing had actually been said. Maybe nothing had been said, he thought. Maybe it was just his imagination.
“We are here, Captain. Don’t mistake us for such.” The voice was hissed. The Captain realized this voice wasn't that of a man.
“Who are you?” He replied cautiously.
“We, are the Aeternus. We have come to Illuminate you.” the voice was solemn. The words struck at his heart, and whatever hope the survivor had kindled for the Captain is now gone. He left the Temple in the hopes that he would escape this unwelcome guest, yet no such luxury would be granted. He felt the voice lingering within his head. He felt it's presence more than ever now, banging at the walls of his mind.
“What have you done here?” he whispered, just as he entered an abandoned building. There was no answer, and so he observed the first room in patience. It was covered in tributes, letters, and writings. He noticed a large, magnificent golden eagle, so it was only fair to assume that he had stumbled across somebody’s personal tribute to the Emperor, common among the pious servants. He realized his mistake after noticing a red-eye scratched into the wall. Along the walls were etchings of markings. The largest and most prominent being an eight-pointed black star. "What do you want from me?" he finally said, breaking the silence he came here for.
"Death."
Just a note: I don't expect any of you to read this.
----
He looked into the broken temple. When he had visited the first time, there had been marble columns supporting the elegant structure. All of it lay in ruin now. In the back of the main room a wall had collapsed in on itself. The sunlight from the dwarf star the planet orbited bled through the roof. Women and children lay slain about him, his men looking for survivors, anyone that can tell them what happened. They must have taken shelter here during conflict, he supposed. Dread and the pungent odor of death hung in the air. He’s experienced death many times before, but taking the lives of innocent children; children of the Emperor, was not just.
His name was Captain Tacitus of the Malevolent Crusaders 1st company, and here he was on Aroban, a small, desolate world with only a few major cities and small outlying villages. They were sent to suppress what they believed to be widespread riots. The number of dead soared within days of the riots beginning, and soon enough, the world was in civil war. The Imperial Guardsmen were supposed to hold their own against the civil uprising, but, as the will of the weak is easily broken, even they had turned on each other. The following massacre ensued.
“Sir, we’ve found someone. The man was a few kilometers outside of the city.” Hope exploded in the Captain’s breast. The fact that the indigenous population had been able to destroy an Imperial army surprised him, but what more surprised him was the fact that there was no survivors, save the one that they had just discovered.
“Take me to him. Our questions need to be answered.”
“We need a Rhino dispatched to the Temple. Captain Tacitus wants to see the survivor.” The Marine saluted the Captain and continued his search. The Captain thought to himself; how had they been so late? As they entered the system, the first shots had just been fired in this city. It couldn’t have been just the Imperial Guardsmen. There had to be something more to it, and-
“You are right.” He heard a shrill, hoarse voice whisper. He’d heard nothing like it before. The sound of it sent chills down his spine.
“Who said that?” he responded. The Marines in the Temple looked at him in confusion, as if nothing had actually been said. Maybe nothing had been said, he thought. Maybe it was just his imagination.
“We are here, Captain. Don’t mistake us for such.” The voice was hissed. The Captain realized this voice wasn't that of a man.
“Who are you?” He replied cautiously.
“We, are the Aeternus. We have come to Illuminate you.” the voice was solemn. The words struck at his heart, and whatever hope the survivor had kindled for the Captain is now gone. He left the Temple in the hopes that he would escape this unwelcome guest, yet no such luxury would be granted. He felt the voice lingering within his head. He felt it's presence more than ever now, banging at the walls of his mind.
“What have you done here?” he whispered, just as he entered an abandoned building. There was no answer, and so he observed the first room in patience. It was covered in tributes, letters, and writings. He noticed a large, magnificent golden eagle, so it was only fair to assume that he had stumbled across somebody’s personal tribute to the Emperor, common among the pious servants. He realized his mistake after noticing a red-eye scratched into the wall. Along the walls were etchings of markings. The largest and most prominent being an eight-pointed black star. "What do you want from me?" he finally said, breaking the silence he came here for.
"Death."