Silent Sun

[Kadaeux]

Silent Sun

 

Prologue

 

The stars burned brightly. Perhaps the brightest they had ever burned in Moliss' memory. He could almost feel the spirits of his ancestors guiding him to find the star that had fallen thus he might return it to the sky and earn himself a passage into the heavens for the deed. The village had declared it a quest for those boys yet to become men. A coming of age ceremony. Only the one to complete the quest would become a man the rest to remain boys.

 

At fifteen turns of the sun Moliss was already the oldest of the boys and while it was a source of mocking and much resentment it also meant he had more power and stamina that his competitors. He edged though the forest guided by its ethereal light along a dimly lit path, little more than a trail for game, but the scent was wrong and the night was beginning to take on a more menacing quality. He held up his weapon its unfamiliar shape in hand.

 

The Elders had warned the youths of the creeping deaths within the forest and of the tree spirits that would seduce men and boy alike into its highest boughs where it would sadistically release them from their embrace to fall to the earth below. Moliss was certain he'd not fall for the tricks and wiles of the monsters of the forest or any spirits of the trees, he had an ancient charm from history itself it seemed. The effigy of a giant upon a throne resplendent in light. It was his one possession. But the weapon was loaned. No boy was permitted a weapon except by direct permit of the Elders and only ever for a single purpose.

 

This time it was for the quest. Moliss was startled by a hiss and rustling in the bush he spun pulling the tab he was told would spit purifying light. For a moment it did before Moliss let go of the strange tab. He had been warned that there was only sixty times he could pull the tab and that he was never to change the strange lever to its highest settling lest he wind up with even less presses!

 

A moment of rustling and whatever it was had indeed fled for more fertile, or at least weaker, food. Or so Moliss hoped. The forest had grown dark and daunting as he progressed deeper within its depths and strange sounds assailed his ears. After a moment he struck a realisation.

 

The sounds didn't belong. Every single person in the village knew the names, sounds and dangers of every living thing within 50 revolutions walk and 100 revolutions ride. Even if they had never seen it the hunters could recall every sound they had ever heard and imitate it with frightening clarity.

 

These sounds didn't belong. They weren't the hoots, barks, howls or scowls of the beasts. They weren't the ticks, squeals or whistles of the insects. They were.... worse.

 

Bestial sounds like a cross between a hiss a growl and... something else. Then the forest ended. A clearing 70 paces wide had been cleared in the forest. Moliss stopped at the boundary of the field looking at the destruction. The trees looked like they had been melted like Sol-bee wax and run like water. But new shoots had begun to show and IT sat there like the burst egg of a muklee beast... but more... alien. He watched suddenly as two of his competitors came out of the forest simultaneously whooping, laughing and celebrating. Moliss watched something move in the shadows. It moved fluidly with unnatural grace for something so big. He saw it put out a hand grasping a tree as it edged through the undergrowth. Then it was gone.

 

To Moliss' eyes it had merely merged into the undergrowth of the forest. He fought the urge to call out and warn the foolish boys but was kept silent by the knowledge that the last Moliss had seen the monster was closer to him than them. Then he realised why it went for them and not him. The wind. He could smell it very faintly a strange tangy scent that was like a wisp in the wind rather than a true scent. He could also smell the two fools dancing around in front of the broken edges of the thing.

 

Then they were dead. In a fraction of a second Moliss was stunned by the beast rearing up from the ground it had crawled across its two overarching claws snipping off the first boys head like a stone knife in a purri fruit. The other was grabbed roughly and before the boy could object the beast thrusts its face onto the boys head the penetrating tendrils silencing the boys struggles before they even began.

 

Moliss began to run.

[Kadaeux]

Chapter 1: Portents of Nightmare.

 

 

Magma Guard Fortress Monastery

 

Keloss awoke with a start from his dreaming state drenched in sweat with a scream on his lips. He wiped his brow with a hand that would seem oversized on anyone else. Dreams? They were not something he had experienced in over two centuries of life. Fear? No Terror, an emotion that Keloss couldn't ever remember truly feeling. He stood in his small cell and went over to the wash basin and wiped down his face with the cold recycled water it poured out into the pristing metal. His cot was drenched with sweat and Keloss realised that he didn't much care for the notion of sleep again anyway. Examining the timepiece in the wall he realised that the sleep cycle would be ending in a mere half hour anyway.

 

With that he put on his monastic robes and entered the corridor to almost bowl over a serf going about his shipboard duties. The smaller man stuttered his apologies and went off to continue his duties without even waiting for Keloss' reply. Keloss merely passed the serf from his mind and headed towards the chapel.

 

It was a work of art. As are all chapels dedicated to the Emperor but today its splendour seemed dulled in Keloss' mind as he contemplated the dreams that had assailed him. "Morning Prayer isn't for another twenty minutes brother." A familiar voice interjected, Keloss didn't have to turn to recognise his oldest freind Trask.

 

Keloss' lack of reply didn't concern Trask. Keloss was taken to periods of silence and was known as a man of minimal words. As such when he did speak those who knew him more closely also tended to listen closely. Thus it was Trask was suprised. "Have you dreamt since becoming a marine Trask?"

 

Trasks own silence was telling. "Not for a long time Keloss. What haunts yours?" Trask always had skill with deductive reasoning and it only made sense for Keloss to mention them if they were troubling him.

 

"Tyranids." The word along caused the bile to rise in both men.

 

The two sat there for some minutes contemplating the vile alien menace when the doors opened from the Company Chaplains quarters and Ramirus strode through the door. Throughout the Fortress Monastery marines would be awakening and making their ways to their respective company chapels. Except for the 4th and 5th companies which were crusading on the eastern star rim against the aforementioned Tyranids. "Brothers you are early." It was neither question nor accusation but a mere observation but as is typical it made the two feel guilty nonetheless.

 

 

 

 

Imperial Navy Hexathedral Guardian of Forever.

 

The Admiral examined the information presented to him with barely concealed hatred and scorn. For sixteen hours Astropaths, Menials, Ratings, Techpriests and God-Emperor knew how many others had been acting like the next greatest disaster since the Heresy was about to befall them was here.

 

Now he knew. As far as he was concerned unless he received help and soon it may as well be for this section of the Galaxy, or at least the two or three systems here. A splinter of Hive Fleet Jormugandr was headed directly for his sphere of control and his useless advisors had seen fit to mention that he only had twenty capital ships under his control of which eleven were almost six weeks travel away being refitted and repaired after a fleet action against the vile Eldar pirates!

 

He had put out the call to everyone within feasible reach that could possibly get aid in time including a Chapter of Space marines less than four weeks away. They had promised three companies and the Battlebarge Doubtless Fury. He was also assured that they could spare two squadrons of escorts.

 

But he'd received nothing but silence from the rest of the Imperium. He closed his eyes and could picture the voracious Tyranids in his mind. If he didn't hear back from someone else inside of a week it would be too late.