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Trip Into Hell (Warhammer High)
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===The Aftermath=== He didn’t remember them taking her off of him; he didn’t remember them taking him out of that hell-space. He didn’t remember how the others learnt about what had happened in there, how they learnt about Summer’s martyrdom. He didn’t remember anything about that next day, when victory was finally won and the last of the Orks were hunted down and exterminated by the vengeful Legions. He sank into a black void where nothing could reach or touch him, and for a while he floated there, suspended in nothingness. When he finally emerged from it he found himself in his old Hab, the one where he had been staying before the Hulk had arrived, before the world changed. The pict of her was there staring over at him, and after enduring her serene stare for a few minutes he bodily grabbed it and threw it under his bed. He couldn’t face her. Too much had happened. There was a loud knocking on the door, and Julius pulled some clothes on and shambled out to answer it. It was Scvott, Flynn and Dyllion. It was hard to recognise them in civilian gear. For a few seconds Julius stared at them dully. “Julius, you look like shit.” Dyllion finally said. “I feel like shit.” Julius managed to force a smile though. “Thank god you guys survived though.” Scvott quirked an eyebrow, before swiftly adding, “Forgot you and your father had those sorts of beliefs. No offense?” “None taken, I’m used to it. What happened to you? Su...We left you guys to hold off those Daemons while we went to help Lord Ahriman.” He couldn’t say her name, the hurt was too raw. Even thinking it felt like a jab into an open wound. Scvott knew what he meant, and he began. “Those Daemons came at us time and time again; I swear we were bloody lucky to survive at all. Dyllion killed a fair few with that heavy stubber of his, before it was melted by this creature covered in mouths which spat flame. Finally we ran out of ammo, and we drew our bayonets and prepared to sell our lives as dearly as possible. And then suddenly the Daemons winked out, as if whatever was keeping them connected to the world had just been cut off. No sooner had that happened then a Thunderhawk landed in front of the bunker, and you wouldn’t believe who disembarked from it. Lord Mortarion of the Death Guard, a fugging Primarch.” Flynn took over. “He came up to us, those bodyguards of his right behind him, and he asked us where Lord Ahriman was. Poor Scvott lost his tongue, and I had to answer him.” Scvott shot him a glare. “Hardly surprising, they don’t call him the death lord for nothing. Looks like the Reaper, personified. The last person I’d want to see in a dark alleyway.” “You’ve never seen Lord Kurze then I take it.” Julius said. Flynn shook his head. “From what I hear, you never see Lord Kurze until you’re nearly dead from fright.” “That’s true. He and Ahriman saved my arse when we went down into the Petitioner’s City, and nearly got killed.” More bad memories flooded in. How could he ever tell Isis about Summer, now that she was dead? Scvott saw the change, and swiftly he added. “He went in, and about ten minutes later came out with Lord Ahriman and you. Ahriman was carrying…her, and we knew she was dead. I know how much she meant to you Julius, and I am deeply sorry. She meant a lot to all of us.” Flynn now took the initiative, went over and hugged Julius before he could say or do anything. Scvott followed suit, and after a second so did Dyllion. The simple earnestness of their move banished the back cloud to the edge of Julius’s mind, and he felt like he could function again. “Before anything else happens, I went down to the bunker to clean up yesterday. I brought these for you.” Julius’s bodyglove, his last letters, and something else. Her last letter, the one she had written to her brother. “I think you can find a way of getting that to where it belongs.” Scvott said, more than a small hint of sadness in his eyes. “You of all people have the connections to ensure they take you seriously and receive it.” “On a different note, Lord Ahriman has summoned us. He wants to debrief us personally. We’re to meet him on board some legion frigate. Apparently it’s docked in the spaceport.” He looked over Julius, a smile plying at the edge of his lips. “I think you may want to get properly dressed before we go.” Only then did Julius notice his trousers were on the wrong way around. He retreated from the good natured laughing of his comrades, his friends, and readied himself for what was next. Gently he set her last letter down inside his kitbag, along with his stained bodyglove. He would get that letter to where it belonged, one way or another. Ahzek Ahriman stood on the bridge of the Iron Tide, lost in thought. His armour was being repaired by several Techmarines from Prospero, and his heqa staff was being cleansed of any lingering daemonic taint. He had fully inspected the ship, and was confident there was nothing left of the foul touch of the Warpspawn who had attacked it during the incursion. It could carry the Daughters and their consorts from Fenris back to Terra. It would carry more than just them, if Julius decided so. Thinking of Julius brought back the memories of what had happened down there, and how the woman he had been with had done what she had done. She had channelled something, tapped into something more powerful than Ahriman had seen before and using it banished the Daemon. The first figure to reach them down in the core afther the Daemon had died was surprisingly Lord Mortarion, who had been informed of the source of the taint by Captain Ir’sem. He had been debriefed by the Lord Primarch inside that fane, a singularly unpleasant experience he had no wish to repeat. He had then gently prised the dead woman off of Julius, who was holding her cooling corpse and sobbing like a child. Poor Julius, he doubted that the boy would be able to face Lady Lupercal now. He felt sorry, the boy was only seventeen and though he was very much his father’s son, he had been wounded in mind and soul by this war, a wound Ahriman had no ability to heal. His Legion brothers had helped him identity the Daemon, one which personified Chaos as the meddler, the deceiver, the trickster. It could take the form of other beings, and that doubtless was how it had deployed the Deathstrike. It had probably manipulated the whole sequence of events which had brought the Hulk to Seadelant, and deep down in his mind Ahriman thought it might have been the one who had stirred up all that trouble after the Keiter shooting. He would have to inform Lord Magnus about that as soon as he had a chance. If the ‘Changeling’ could roam around Terra unopposed then nowhere would truly be safe from the malign touch of Chaos, not even at the heart of the Emperor’s realm. Now that the Daemon was gone, his powers had returned. The doubts he had once held had been washed away, and for the first time in years he felt in control. He felt whole. Fractured visions of timelines yet to come shone through the veil of the empyrean, and Ahriman could once again see the echoes of futures yet to come. Right now they were in flux as the doom of Seadelant receded and the warp returned to normal. His future was assured, he had no worries now. A Salamander fleet serf came up to him, and announced, “The people you wished to see, my Lord.” Ahriman dismissed him as the others came in. “Welcome,” said Ahriman, modulating his accent to a more natural, fluid tone. Last time they had heard him was in the throes of anger, and he had doubtless left a mark he now had to erase. “Please, sit.” Gratefully the four of them sat down. “Now, you know why you are here. Doubtless Julius would have mentioned how these things work on the way here. Though last time he was ‘debriefed’, it was the Emperor himself who imposed the verdict, not me.” They all turned to stare at Julius, who shrank from their collective gaze. The memory was still too harsh for him, and Ahriman could hardly blame him. Even he was still stinging from the Emperor’s fury, unleashed that day. “I’ll make it simple. Only you know about the Daemon which was pulling the strings, and it must stay with you. You must all swear to silence about what the Daemon was really up too, how it wanted to turn this planet into a hell-world. If you break this oath, then your lives will be forfeit. Do you understand?” Ahriman projected a small measure of fire into his aura, just enough to reinforce his words. They all got the message. “Hold your right hands up, and repeat after me: ‘In the name of the Emperor of Mankind, the guardian against the fell powers of the Warp, I swear that what secrets I know will stay with me forever more.” They repeated the words, Julius only reluctantly, and they were done. “We’re finished. The bar downstairs is open if you’d like, and I happen to know they have some Tanith Whiskey.” Flynn’s eyes lit up at the mention, and eagerly he gestured at the door. “Before you go though, I have something for you.” Ahriman reached down for something Lord Mortation had given him at the awards ceremony. He reached out and opened his fist. In the palm of his massive hand were five medals stamped in silver. “By your actions was Seadelant saved, and I’m sorry no-one will ever know the truth of how you alerted us to the Daemonic presence. But you can show these to your children, and say you did your part to save your homeworld. I’m proud of all of you for willingly risking death every day to try and help us from behind enemy lines. I’m sorry that one of these has to be posthumous, which one of you will take it?” Julius all but reached over and snatched it. It would be Julius. As they all got up to go, Ahriman added. “Julius, stay. I need to speak with you alone.” Julius sat back down. “Julius, I know how much this must be hurting you, but what your friend did, it must never leave Seadelant, ever. Only you, I and Lord Mortarion know what she did, and it must remain between us. If news of how she banished a Daemon got out, it would invigorate those who believe in her…falsities.” Julius could barely hide his scowl. “She saved you ser. She saved me, she saved this entire planet. Her beliefs shouldn’t be taken into account, do you take mine?” “Your beliefs don’t violate the Imperial Creed. Hers did.” “The Imperial Creed is full of shite ser. It’s flawed from top to bottom. People like her are just loyal as the average citizen, even more. There are none more devoted to the Imperium…” “Julius, stop. I don’t want to have to force you to keep quiet, but I will if necessary. Lord Mortarion has charged me with ensuring that this never gets out, and I obey. Do you want me to have to mindlock you?” Ahriman knew that the Emperor had been displeased with him tampering with the mind of any of his citizens, but Lord Mortarion had promised he would explain to the Emperor the situation when they returned to Terra. Julius glared angrily, but he held his tongue. Ahriman changed the subject. “Now that all of this is done, we need to discuss what you’re going to do next. Obviously the recent events have upset your plans. You now have two options open. First, you can travel on the Iron Tide, its returning straight to Terra via Fenris. You’ll be able to travel with friends of yours and see everyone off before they go to College. “On the other hand, the Ultramarine Frigate Sanctity of Saramanth is returning to Ultramar, and its first stop is Calth. If you want to head there as per your original travel plans, it leaves tomorrow. Note by the time you return to Terra, everyone will be gone to College. You won’t see anyone you know for the short time you will be on Terra. You won’t see her.” He didn’t have to mention her name. He was hurting enough, and Ahriman could clearly sense that he was about to face a major decision regarding her in the near future. “I understand ser. I don’t think I can face any of them. Not yet.” Ahriman nodded. The Sanctity of Saramanth it is then. “And what are you doing ser?” Julius asked. “Returning to Terra. My mind and soul are cleansed, and I can see that Lord Curze wants to see me. We still have unfinished business with the Babu Dhakal.” Julius nodded, still unhappy and took his leave. As he went, Ahriman idly searched the strings of fate to see his future, but as he probed deeper he found they were dark and tangled. His own future might be clear now, but Julius was now sliding down a slippery slope to darkness and Ahriman could do little to help. Julius would have to rise or fall on his own.
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