The Trials of Kallik

[EesiOh]

A little backstory. A friend of mine created a Space Marine chapter called the Glacial Specters. They take a lot of inspiration from the Inuits, native Americans/Canadians and other peoples of Antarctica and the Arctic Circle. They operate from Hearthe Primus (think Hoth) but have their catacombs, where they intern the chapters fallen, on the moon Hearthe Alpha (Hoth plus ultra). As part of the aspirants trial, they go on a vision quest into the catacombs and must return with the armor that a fallen of the chapter was interred with. The vision quest can lead an aspirant to any fallen member of the chapter, and who you end up finding says something about your career among the glacial specters, almost like a form of minor divination (though its never as literal as "You found John, he got killed by an Ork, so one day, so will you) They also utilize giant owls in combat roles. These owls are large enough to be able to engage in fights with enemy aircraft (Helldrakes that aren't evil, or mechanical essentially) 

Anyway, without further ado, i give you, The Trials of Kallik 

 

 

Kallik shivered. He didn't know the actual temperature of the frozen catacombs, sequestered away at the icy heart of Hearthe Alpha, but, from the way his breath fogged the air briefly before crystallizing mid air, told him that it was far below 0. The only sounds were the crunching of his footsteps, in this icy and hallowed place, the footsteps and the rapid beating of his two hearts, blood surging through his body in its desperate attempt to maintain homeostasis in such gruelling conditions. His vision was clouded. And though some part of him knew he was in the catacombs, the other part, the part that saw now, knew that he was walking across a frozen ocean. Kallik shivered again. Not from the cold this time. He had heard something. Tentatively he cocked his head to the side and allowed his mouth to hang open a fraction, straining his genealogically enhanced hearing to try and catch the sound again. He tuned out the sounds of his body and of his distracted thoughts. His breathing hitched as he heard a new sound, as alien as the last. Claws on ice. 

 

Kallik slowly scanned the tundra around him until he located the sound's source. He smiled as he saw what it was. His totem, Amaruq, the grey wolf, was bounding its way towards him. He knelt down and held his arms out to Amaruq, but the grey wolf didn't seem to see him. It bounded past him. No. Through him. Kallik's foggy mind couldn't quite comprehend what just happened, but he was fairly certain Amaruq had just gone through him. Before he could attempt to think about the ramifications of this potentially disastrous portent he heard the first sound again. A lone cry that instilled inside of him the same primal instincts that his people had had since settling these frozen wastes. In the face of that noise his enhanced physiology and heightened combat training meant nothing. A great shadow passed over him. As the winged silhouette passed through his shadow, Kallik felt as if someone had stepped on his grave. He slowly looked up. The Tonngak; Ghost Owl; The Banshee. Many tribes had names for Hearthe's apex predator. Large enough to destroy whole huts, more silent than the glacial wind that carried it through the air, save for its haunting screech. A herald of its presence, presented far too late for its prey to do anything but die. 

 

A scentless chill wind sprung up, caused by the downdraft of the birds enormous wings. Kallik shivered and hated himself for it. The wind was cold yes, but he knew that wasn't the cause of his reaction. Vaguely he knew he was in no danger from the bird, that the true danger was something else, but that part of him was quickly silenced as the Ghost Owl turned its head to regard him with its cold, black eyes. It cocked its head at him, and then cautiously, hopped its way towards him. Kallik took a step back as it came closer, and then back further again. The Tonngak seemed displeased at this, and ruffled its large feathers, before again hopping towards him. The voice at the back of his head, an old and wise voice. His elder, Ikai? No. -Torak- Unbidden the name appeared in his head. But who was Torak? It did not matter. -Stand firm against all foe, whether they be Human, Xenos or Heretic- the voice told him. Kallik did not understand the last two phrases, but he understood the general idea this strange speaker wished to convey, and stood his ground regardless. Forcing his head up to stare the Tonngak straight in the eyes, his chin held defiantly upwards. The Tonngak seemed pleased by this, and hopped towards him again. The movements may have been comical, if they didnt come from such a dangerous creature. It reached him and then stopped again. Once more cocking its head to one side. Listening, as he had done. Then it began to hop away. Slowly though, as it went it stopped and, twisting its head a sickening 270 degrees backwards to look at Kallik, seemed to encourage him forwards. Kallic gulped, but remembering Ikai's... -no- Torak's words, he made to follow it. 

 

Kallik had followed the Tonngak for... how long had it been? He wasn't sure. He wasn't even sure if he remembered how to count time. Or if such a powerful concept like time could even be constrained by something as petty as numbers. The insistent voice in his head kept trying to tell him something about time, but he could not understand it. There was just him and The Tonngak. He had grown to appreciate the beast. It's appearance was far more noble than the tales he had heard of the Tonngak, and, as he had encountered for himself on the open tundra, it did not attack him as some blood thirsty beast might have, as he had been led to believe. Rather it simply led him onwards. Ever onwards. Occasionally it would move as if trying to avoid things like walls, but they were in a glacial ravine. The only walls were the ones that towered above them on either side. Yet he trusted it. His old totem had ignored him, left him. Perhaps the Tonngak was his new totem? Kallik thought to himself as he stumbled after the hopping bird. With a start, Kallik realised that they had arrived at a whole in the side of the glacial wall. Perhaps this is it's nest, Kallik though glumly, maybe it was just lazy so it decided to lead me all the way over here to die. Despite such pessimistic thoughts however, the voice at the back of his head sounded ecstatic, but he still couldn't understand it. It was as if it was speaking in another language at him through an ocean of thick soup, barely comprehensible even if he could hear it clearly. Kallik wearily made his way into the cave. He froze.

 

Inside the cave, next to the hopping and softly hooting Tonngak, was a large suit of armour. This armour looked as if it had been made for giants, it was covered in stylised flourish and an unknown writing. It shone bright silver, as if it had been polished daily, which seemed at odds with it's location, and on its giant shoulder-pads... -Pauldruns- Ikai's -Torak's- voice supplied, on it's giant pauldrons, there appeared to be inlaid some precious stone. Kallik reached out a hand to touch the stone but before he felt its smooth surface he quickly withdrew his hand with an exclamation of pain. He howled aloud as the cold the gems emanated partially ice-burned his hand, the skin turning raw and pink. But in that flash of pain something in him awoke. 

 

He knew now who he was. He was not Kallik of the Uranduk tribe. He was Aspirant Kallik. He was undergoing his final trial. Deep in the depths of the catacombs of the Glacial Specters on Hearthe Alpha, He had been on a vision quest initiated by Chief Librarian Ittuk to discover himself, and his legacy. Aspirant Kallik breathed in deeply before surveying the room before him again, this time not as a suspicious and fearful tribesman, but as a future member of the Adeptus Astartes. Kallik swore softly. That part of his vision had been accurate. Before him was 'Frozen Heart' the armour of Aeron. The greatest hero and chapter master the Glacial Specters had been blessed with. And in the gauntlets of the Artificer armour was Oathkeeper, Aeron's legendary two handed chain glaive. Even as he took it all in Kallik felt the brew concocted by Ittuk clawing away at his consciousness, cruelly taking his newfound understanding away from him. He also realised he didn't have much time left. He was entering the later stages of hyperthermia. If he couldn't get the armour and leave, he would die soon. The armour would slow him down. But to return without anything? No, he may as well simply die down here anyway. Aspirant Kallik cursed bitterly, and as the words left his mouth, he was left, once again, merely Kallik. 

 

Kallik gazed into the wise eyes of The Tonngak. He felt that there was something important he was missing. Or forgetting. But he couldnt put his finger on it. He was weary. So Weary. He just wanted sleep. He slumped to the floor in the lotus position, his back against the wall of the ice glacier. He closed his eyes and began to drift off to sleep.

 

His eyes snapped open, and he looked accusingly at the Tonngak. It had bit him! Maybe it did want to eat me after all Kallik thought, looking glumly at the giant avian creature, but the Tonngak showed no signs of eating him. It just stared at him. Kallik began to close his eyes again, and it's feathers bristled as it let out an earpericing shriek. "All right! All right!" Kallik scrambled to his feet. "What's wrong with the stupid thing anyway" he grumbled to himself. His voice was so weak and quiet he hardly recognised it as his own. The Tonngak was keening now, and nudging this strange giant's armour again. Kallik cautiously walked over to it and tried to lift it. It was heavy. Too heavy. He nearly lost his balance but regained it in time. He set the armour down again. How would he transport it. Why would the Tonngak want him to carry this armour around anyway? Kallik looked more closely at the armour. It didn't seem so giant, now that he really looked at it. He could could even probably put it on. It seemed as if it would fit him. Seemingly sensing his thoughts, The Tonngak's feathers bristled again. "Alright, not wearing it. 's stupid armour anyway" Kallik could have sworn the Tonngak gave him an almost reproachful look. Kallik looked around the cave an noticed a sled on the ground. Why hadn’t he noticed that before? Putting the thought aside, Kallik carefully loaded the armour onto the sled, and, using the vicious looking polearm weapon -Chain Glaive- Torak’s voice interrupted, as a makeshift walking stick, dragged himself out of the glacial cave. The Tonngak gave a hoot and flew out of the cave. Flying majestically upwards to slowly circle him in the sky. Kallik felt a surge of elation, seeing his new totem in all its majesty, and let out a celebratory shout. At least, it was meant to. A whimper left the body Aspirant Kallik before the limp body crashed into soft snow, and softer nothingness. 

 

Aspirant Kallik's body was discovered, just a meter outside of the catacombs, collapsed next to his sleigh, on which lay 'Frozen Heart'. Clutched in his left hand was Oathkeeper. 

 

Aspirant Kallik awoke to the sound of whispering, dying as quick as the snowstorms of Hearthe Alpha as the interlocutors sensed his consciousness. A battle brother of the apothecarium, his white armour stained with flecks of red regarded him with a measured eye. "Did you know Aspirant, that you should be, at the very least, dead of three separate causes by now?" Kallik winced at the loudness of the Apothecaries voice, and at the tone in which he spoke "I think so, it... it certainly feels like it, sir" Kallik replied with a weak smile. The Apothecary apparently failed to see the humour of the situation, simply staring down at him. Kallik slowly took in the other two people within the chamber. Chief Librarian Ittuk, and the Master of Recruits, Torak. Ittuk made a motion to the apothecary, who curtly left the room. Ittuk turned to Kallik. "You died, and yet you lived. Already, a strong sign, of terrible greatness, or great terribleness" Ittuk's words sent a shiver down Kallik's spine. Ittuk's piercing stare cut to Kallik's heart "Tell me Aspirant. How did you find your way to the Frozen Sepulcher?" Kallik's hearts beat a little quicker. Ittuk's tone seemed innocent enough, but there seemed to be a deeper purpose than mere curiosity behind his line of questioning. Kallik gathered his thoughts and then slowly replied "The Tonngak led me to it" Torak's face tightened a fraction, but Ittuk seemed not to react. He turned slowly to Torak, and the two of them began to flicker hand signals at each other. A furious argument taking place in complete silence. The hand signals reminded Kallik of something. He looked down at his right hand, wishing to survey the damage that the True Ice that 'Frozen Heart' was inlaid with had done to his hand. He groaned softly as he saw nothing at the end of his hand but a cauterised stump. The two figures looked up at him as he groaned, and seemed to come to a decision. Torak stepped out of the chamber to summon the apothecary back, whilst Ittuk stepped closer to Torak and in an almost conspiratorial whisper said "We shall be seeing far more of each other in the future I think" before adding a final two words and leaving. Kallik was still smiling at those words as the Apothecary began fitting him with a bionic hand to replace his old one, the nerves of which had been irreparably damaged by the burn, Neophyte Kallik Ittuk had called him. Neophyte Kallik 

Edited February 13, 2018 by EesiOh