A Light Not Extinguished

Chapter 35: The Old Guard

"So it all ends in you. I see. I understand. Only one thing left to do now."

-Lhilitu, Consort of the Void.

The Warp

Kathicia woke up in a pool of her own blood.

The psyker stumbled to her feet. Her skin was split apart by a thousand cuts; she knew without a mirror that her face must be a gruesome thing, the flesh flayed and the bones burnt.

She was in... somewhere. A formless white space, with only a vast golden wall in front of her that stretched both upwards and downwards into infinity. There was a gate in the middle, its hinges both rusted and welded shut.

Kathicia shambled forward. Lumps of gristle fell off her bones as she walked, sizzling as they met the floor. If she is not dead, then she is dying soon.

She grabbed the bars of the gates. "Hello?" She rasped. "Is anyone there?"

Silence.

"Can anyone hear me?" Kathicia weakly knocked on the gate, before realizing the mistake she had made.

Foolish. She thought to herself. Nothing in the Warp could ever be trusted to help of its own accord, without stabbing you in the back later. Kathicia sat down and began to scrutinize the wall. The carvings were in the Aeldari language, although of a far more flowery variant than she was used to. Through fading sight she saw a grand elaborate tapestry of near-forgotten mythos; the slaying of the Nighbringer, the seeding of life across the stars, Asuryan dueling the Dragon. All of it was marred by grey moss that covered the wall, leaching the gold from it.

A silhouette was approaching in the hallway. Shadowed by the darkness, all Kathicia could make out was a shining green halo, and a pair of horns on top of the head.

"Stay back." Kathicia snarled as she called forward a guttering flame in the hand of her palm. "I might be dying, but I'll drag you down with me."

The figure halted a few steps away from the gate, saying nothing.

"Who sent you? Tzeentch? Be'lakor?" Kathicia spat out. "I told your masters before that I'd rather die than submit, and I still hold true to that!" Her eyes glowed cobalt blue as she tried to decipher its identity.

But despite how hard she scrutinized, there was no stench of Chaos. Only an overwhelming abundance of alien vitality, tinged with the vibrant aura of what could only be described to be the wilderness in all of its aspects. The only time when Kathicia had ever felt something like this when she had been on Terra, deep within the bowels of the earth as she conversed with Gaia. Looking back at the wall, Kathicia quickly put two and two together.

"You— you must be—" Kathicia marveled as the figure stood patiently before her. "I thought you were all gone! Dead! I never thought I'd see anything in the Warp that wasn't tainted by them..." For a moment, Kathicia forgot her exhaustion in place of excitement. "We weren't even sure that you existed....But if you still live, then why have you not done anything?" Confusion crept in. "You were their gods, are you not? Why have you allowed that... parasite to come into being?"

The confusion turned to anger. "You caused all this! You left them, and now they've turned against the galaxy!" Kathicia rushed forward, grabbing the gate as she glared directly at the figure. "You and your brethren are the source! Why did you leave them, and curse the galaxy with your mistake? Answer me!"

The figure didn't answer, a single tear falling down her cheek.

"Help me, damn you!" Kathicia pounded on the gates, crimson fire dancing along her arms. "If not to save us, then at least save your people from ruin! WHY WON'T YOU DO ANYTHING?" The gates didn't budge— they had been designed to weather far worse.

"Say something." The High Marshal hissed as flaming azure eyes met those of emerald. "Everqueen."

Isha the Life-Giver could do nothing but raise her arms that were bound by heavy golden chains.

"So the Edict is real." Kathicia muttered. "How is it that your king has not undone it yet?" Isha said nothing. "You coward. You fucking coward!" Kathicia slumped against the gate. "I shouldn't have expected anything from higher powers. Not anymore. Never since—" The High Marshal coughed up a mouthful of blood. The pain from her wounds came back, worse than ever. "Not..." She began to sway on her feet as her vision started to darken at the edges. "Here." She crashed to the ground, the fire in her eyes winking out.

Isha bent down, a conflicted expression on her face as she stared at this child of Man that had found her way to the threshold of the gods. Her strength was waning, her altars empty and forsaken. But if she could not save her children, at least she could try to save this one lone soul. The goddess stretched out a hand. As it passed the gate, it began to burn, divine flesh blackening and burning to a crisp, with the goddess's arm trembling as it strained against some great, unseen force. A spasm of pain crossed the Everqueen's face, but she still laid it on Kathicia's face.

The High Marshal's wounds ceased dripping blood. Cracked and burnt bones began to reshape themselves anew. Not a complete restoration, but enough for Kathicia to live to see another day.

+Have courage, Kathicia of Prospero. You have a long road to walk, if you wish to achieve the ending you seek.+ The goddess's voice seemed to come from far away, a bare whisper emanating from beyond a thousand walls as Kathicia opened bloodshot eyes to look up at her. Isha retracted her hand. +My children...+ The goddess looked downwards as Kathicia slowly stood up. +I cannot make excuses for them anymore. On their behalf, I apologize— for both their sins, and mine.+

Kathicia stared at her, face softening with pity. "If you are truly their mother, then I hope you can forgive us for what we will do to them." Kathicia bowed. "I do not relish this. But they have left us no choice. As protector of a species to another— you have my word that we will not prolong their suffering any longer."

Isha let out a quiet sigh, one filled with an old, bitter regret. +I know my words ring hollow to you, child. But I promise you that If I had known what would come to pass... I would have done everything I could to stop Asuryan. A broken Empire would still have been infinitely preferable to this.+ She let out a self-deprecating chuckle. +You should not have to stand here, Kathicia. In a kinder world where we did not blunder, you would have been welcomed among the best and brightest of my children. But as shackled as I am now, this paltry healing is all I can grant you.+ Isha murmured. +I am sorry.+

"Nothing in the Warp ever offered aid before without strings attached. For that I thank you." Kathicia said honestly.

+How long has it been since someone thanked me?+ Isha said wistfully. The golden chains bounding the goddess began to tug, and she started to stumble backwards. +Farewell, Kathicia of Prospero.+

"Wait!" Kathicia shouted. "You still haven't answered me!"

+Find him.+ Isha, Lady of the Harvest, Mother of the Aeldari, Bringer of Fertility whispered. +Find my brother the Jester who hides in the Black Library of Chaos. He has the answers you seek.+

And then Kathicia was left alone in front of a decaying castle, the last words of an imprisoned goddess echoing in the air.