Rae van Daleon – The Roots of the Storm

by Lea von Löwenstein

Chapter 34: The Bloody Surprise

The growl echoed through the chamber, low and guttural, as if the shadows themselves had come alive. Rae froze, her eyes darting toward the shifting darkness near the edges of the room. The air grew heavier, colder, as the oppressive presence of the Warp intensified.

Kael and her stormtroopers stood at the ready, their flamers casting flickering light that barely held back the encroaching shadows. The glowing vortex above the altar pulsed with chaotic energy, the runes on the walls flaring in tandem as though feeding the corruption.

Then, from the edge of the chamber, a figure emerged.

The cultist was hunched and twisted, his body covered in tattered, blood-soaked robes. His face was hidden beneath a crude, bone-crafted mask, the eye sockets glowing faintly with a sickly green light. His hands dripped with fresh blood, which pooled at his feet with each shuffling step.

Kael raised her power sword, her voice ringing out with authority. “Stand down, heretic. Your false gods will not protect you.”

The cultist let out a wet, choking laugh, his voice reverberating with unnatural tones. “You’re too late, Inquisitor. The ritual… it cannot be undone.”

Rae felt a chill run down her spine as the cultist raised his hands, revealing the horrifying object he carried.

It was a severed human head, blood dripping freely from its neck. The head’s eyes were wide open, frozen in terror, and its mouth was twisted into a silent scream. Rae recognized the face instantly.

Talia.

The cultist held the head high, his voice a twisted, mocking chant. “She was strong, but not strong enough. She serves the true gods now, just as you all will.”

Shock and Rage

Rae’s body went cold, her breath catching in her throat. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from Talia’s lifeless face, the sight burning into her mind like a brand. Her hands trembled, her blade lowering slightly as the weight of the revelation hit her.

Celestine’s sharp intake of breath cut through the silence, her voice a whisper filled with fury. “That bastard…”

Marcus stepped forward, his massive fists tightening into weapons of their own. “He’s dead.”

“Hold,” Kael commanded, her voice sharp and unyielding. She turned her attention to Rae, her tone softening slightly. “This is the price of hesitation. Do not let it break you.”

Rae’s hands tightened on her blade, her jaw clenching as she forced herself to breathe. “It doesn’t break me. It fuels me.”

Kael nodded, her gaze shifting back to the cultist. “Good. Then let this be the moment we end this.”

The Cultist’s Defiance

The cultist took a step closer to the altar, holding Talia’s head like a grotesque trophy. The blood from the severed neck began to drip onto the glowing sigil on the floor, and the air in the chamber grew heavier with every drop.

“The gods demand sacrifice,” the cultist rasped, his voice gurgling as though he was drowning in his own madness. “Her blood strengthens the gate. Soon, it will open fully, and your false Emperor will be powerless to stop us.”

Kael raised her power sword, the blade glowing brighter as she stepped forward. “You speak of strength, but you cower behind shadows and stolen lives. The Emperor’s light will burn your lies away.”

The cultist tilted his head, his bone mask cracking slightly as he grinned. “Burn away? Then come, Inquisitor. Show me your fire.”

The Attack

Kael motioned to her stormtroopers, who advanced in unison, their flamers roaring to life. Bright jets of fire surged forward, engulfing the cultist in an inferno of holy flame. The sickening stench of burning flesh filled the chamber, but the cultist didn’t scream.

Instead, he laughed.

His body twisted and writhed within the flames, his blood turning black as it splattered across the sigil. The symbols on the floor flared violently, the vortex above the altar roaring as its chaotic energy surged.

“Fools!” the cultist howled, his voice warped and distorted. “Your fire only feeds the gods!”

Kael’s expression darkened as she realized the flames were intensifying the ritual. She raised her power sword, pointing it at the sigil. “Cease fire! We need to destroy the sigil!”

The stormtroopers immediately halted their attack, the flames dying out. What remained of the cultist was barely recognizable—a charred husk still clutching Talia’s severed head. The sigil continued to glow, the vortex above it growing larger with every passing second.

A Desperate Plan

Rae stepped forward, her mind racing. “The blood—Talia’s blood—it’s fueling the ritual. We need to break the sigil before it finishes.”

Tyren’s voice crackled over the comms. “The runes on the walls are feeding it too. If we disrupt them, it might collapse the entire structure.”

Kael nodded, her voice calm but commanding. “Rae, take your team and destroy the runes. My stormtroopers and I will handle the sigil.”

Rae hesitated for only a moment before nodding. “Understood.”

She turned to her team, her voice steady. “You know what to do. Let’s finish this.”

Breaking the Runes

Rae’s team moved swiftly and silently, disappearing into the shadows that lined the chamber. Celestine’s blade flashed as she sliced through the first glowing rune, the symbol shattering like glass. Marcus ripped another from the wall with his bare hands, the stone crumbling beneath his strength.

Soren and Tyren worked in tandem, using Tyren’s cogitator to locate the most critical runes. Soren’s hands were steady as he painted over the corrupted glyphs with sanctified oils, muttering prayers under his breath.

As each rune was destroyed, the chamber shook violently, cracks forming in the walls and ceiling. The vortex above the altar began to waver, its chaotic energy sputtering.

The Final Stand

Kael stood at the center of the chamber, her power sword raised high. The stormtroopers formed a protective ring around her, their weapons trained on the sigil. The charred remains of the cultist lay at her feet, his blood still pooling on the floor.

“With me!” Kael commanded, and her stormtroopers opened fire on the sigil, their bolters roaring in unison. The glowing symbols cracked and splintered, dark energy spilling out like a wound.

Rae and her team rejoined the fight, their combined efforts targeting the remaining runes. The chamber trembled, the vortex above the altar collapsing in on itself.

The End of the Ritual

With a final, earth-shaking roar, the sigil shattered completely. The vortex imploded, the chaotic energy vanishing in a blinding flash of light. The chamber fell silent, the oppressive presence of the Warp lifting like a weight from their shoulders.

Kael lowered her sword, her expression unreadable. “The Emperor’s will is done.”

Rae stood over the remains of the cultist, her gaze lingering on Talia’s lifeless head. Her hands trembled as she reached down, gently closing the girl’s eyes.

“This isn’t over,” Rae said softly, her voice steady despite the tears welling in her eyes. “There are more of them. There always are.”

Kael turned to her, her eyes sharp. “Then we will find them. And we will burn them.”

Rae nodded, her resolve hardening. “For Talia. For all of them.”