Herectics(2)

Holy Terra, Himalayan Mountains

Inside the chamber of the Astronomican.

"Have you verified the situation? Are you sure?"

Franck's voice quivered.

As the Master of the Astronomican, Leops Franck was a member of the ruling elite of the Imperium of Man, a member of the High Lords of Terra that held trillions upon trillions of lives in his hand.

Therefore, matters that could elicit such a reaction from him could only be one of profound significance.

"Yes, Master Leops. We have verified it." the Astronomica Acolyte said as he kept his figure bowed. "The machinery is no longer accepting the psychic energies of the psykers to power it … and the Astronomican's beam has more than doubled in range!"

"Unbelievable … Blessed Emperor!" Franck turned and looked at a mural of the God-Emperor on the glass-stained window of his office, bowing towards it. 

In the past 10,000 years, the Astronomican never displayed such a phenomenon.

 The Astronomican's Beacon was calibrated and projected by the emperor through the golden throne, and powered by the life forces of thousands of psykers to sustain it.

Now that it was suddenly rejecting the energies of the psykers to sustain it, it could only mean one thing - that the beacon was already overflowing with energy, like water out of a full cup. The cause must be the God-Emperor himself, who was the source behind it.

"But ever since the Horus Heresy, His Majesty has ascended to divinity. Could it be that the End Time Prophecy is finally being fulfilled?"

One of the prophecies preached by the Imperial Cult was that the God Emperor who had ascended to the Godhood on the Golden Throne would return at the Height of the Chaos Threat to vanquish all the heretics in His Holy Name.

With the Fall of Cadia caused by Abaddon's Black Crusade, the Imperium has been plunged into unprecedented peril.

The Emperor must have returned. No wonder he had heard reports of the Custodes being quite active.

But the only thing that didn't make sense was why the High Lords of Terra did not announce it. Was that the Emperor's Will?

"I have to meet the High Lords of Terra at once! Prepare my craft …" 

=====

Natalie was confused.

She was certain that the next moment, the hero of the gothic sector would be left only in bits and ashes. 

Spire was no psyker, and only an ordinary human who had achieved all that he had through his brilliant mind. Admirals of the Imperial Navy were not particularly well known for their physical and psychic prowess.

The man suddenly began to emit a radiant glow, one that gave her a feeling of warmth, and a golden halo had appeared over his head. 

His presence, which was miniscule, had suddenly seemed to take over the entire room with him in the center.

-KNEEL-

A single voice rang in her mind, and an overwhelming force came over all who were present in the room. Foe or Friend, every single being felt the weight of his words. 

It was like the crushing weight of a sledgehammer to the head.

Even Natalie's body, which had been trained to its limits to the utmost by the inquisition and its will tempered uncountable times to stand firm in times of testing, found herself obeying the command without the slightest hint of resistance.

An absolute command, demanding absolute obedience from all.

"Kuh … you … who are you!"

One of the psykers blurted out the words as his knees laid glued to the floor, unable to move a single inch.

"I did not give you permission … to speak."

Natalie felt the aura from the man intensify even further, as the air became heavy.

Deadly silence filled the room, as Spire was the only man who stood amidst the kneeling figures.

He took a step forward.

"And I did not give you permission … to breathe."

"U-UGH!"

Natalie heard crazed cries come out from the intruders before deadly silence once again filled the room. 

"Lift your head, Inquisitor."

Natalie felt her body oddly obeying the command, as she looked upon the man who now stood in front him.

There was no resistance offered up, the voice was firm, soothing, and calm to the soul, it seemed to bring peace to chaos, and she noticed her wounds from the battle with the Herectics were already healed.

The next moment, she saw countless visions of a mighty figure leading the forces of imperium through various battles …

Various Primarchs stood beside the man's side, heeding his call and conquering worlds in His Name.

The man wore golden armor, his weapon burning with holy fire, and had a radiant halo that emanated from his body, the same one as the man he saw in the battles.

Then she saw a close-up vision of the halo, its intricate details, its sigils, and purity symbols in full display,

It faded away, and she saw the same halo that appeared atop Spire's Head.

She knew at once who that person was. 

"You are to keep all that has happened here a secret."

"As you command, your majesty."

Words left her mouth before she could even stop them. She bowed with every iota of reverence that she could muster within her, finding herself struggling to contain the awe and shock with her from meeting the one she had worshipped.

Her body had yielded itself to the commands of the ruler of mankind before her without any hesitation

"Good."

The figure stepped forward and pressed a finger to her head.

A torrent of energy, pure and blinding flowed into her. She could feel herself gaining newfound powers, her psychic abilities being augmented. Knowledge, power, and strength beyond human comprehension.

-Act as my instrument, my will, and stand against the darkness-

The voice faded along with the light, and she found herself kneeling alone.

With the God Emperor's Orders, her mission was clear.

The inquisitor rose, her eyes glowing with a faint ethereal light, ready to purge heretics in the name of the Holy Emperor.