It was late into the night when Welminah finally calmed down, promised to keep our little psychic adventure between us, and left. Thankfully she appeared to have suffered little lasting damage done from her "communion".
So much had happened just today alone.
Despite being far from tired, after taking a bath I laid down on my bed and tried to have a semblance of normality by aiming to rest for six hours. Instead I quickly got bored and inevitably thought of today's events.
Oh, right. I killed someone with my bare hands.
Strangely, I did not feel much regret, but that was probably due to my victim being lost to Chaos. Looking back, those flashes of lethal inspirations I witnessed when that Arbites trooper charged me two days ago were no fluke. I could have easily killed the officer with the same contemptuous ease of smashing up some tofu pieces.
After moving past the unsettling vast difference in the happenings of this life compared to my old self, my focus quickly zoomed onto reviewing the sparring I had with Niandra.
No fair. For the first time after coming to this world I was finally having some fun, but it was so short lived. The way I could move with this body was an unattainable dream in my old self as an unathletic couch potato. In my mind I replayed the melee sequence again and again, reliving those intense moments with my vivid recall while reviewing all my actions and mistakes.
I realised that while my body could replicate every martial arts movement with ease, there was no way for me to directly compete with the imperial assassin; the gap between our skills, lethal instinct and actual combat experience was simply too vast to be immediately bridged by any amount of raw talent. It was like having a running contest between a super toddler who just barely learned to walk against the reigning Olympic champion.
After many sessions of reviewing our fights, I eventually came up with multiple different ways to improve my odds for future matches. As I was simulating melee bouts inside my head late into the night, I sensed an increase of activity outside and got up to have a look. Peeking through one of the windows, I saw a convoy of vehicles entering the monastery compound.
Curious, I laid back down on my bed and closed my eyes. A moment later, I successfully sent out my projection to have a closer look. With my consciousness floating above many parked armoured vehicles, I witnessed many prisoners being rushed into the lower levels of the monastery, under heavy security provided by groups of battle sisters.
For a moment I contemplated on following the stream of prisoners to further investigate before remembering the unpleasant dungeon located in the area. In the end I decided against probing any further for my own mental health. This relentless transition from a normie who once lived an oblivious civilian life to a position of always looking at secret governmental activities proved a bit too much for my sanity.
I returned to my body, feeling the incoherent sensation of being in peak physical condition, but mentally exhausted. I pulled the blanket over my head and wished morning would come faster.
Eventually, morning did arrive. After washing up I went through the news updates and saw more reports of imperial forces led by the Sororitas doing their thing. Apparently Canoness Diadinah and her girls had been kicking arses, busted a major cultist hive.
The powers that be on the planet seemed eager to lift the spirits of its people after the near calamity by capitalising on the success of the heretic hunts, as the raids enjoyed major coverage. Sanctioned reporters were on site providing every bit of detail and one of them even briefly interviewed Diadinah herself. Flanked by her retinue, the canoness looked lively, praising the God-Emperor and dedicating her new victories to the recently awakened Holy Daughter.
Wait, that's me.
Hey! Stop shovelling attention here!
I lamented internally, suddenly desperately missing my old days of having little to no drag on the world around me. Outside of my room, the world continued to grind on and through Solace I was constantly being updated on the preparation status of today's events. After Welminah called to confirm both the second batch of test candidates and that the guests had arrived at the expected time, I put on the outfit selected by the sister and checked myself in front of the mirror.
Time to go to work.
I exited my quarters with Solace, then started walking down a long corridor to a common area where a secured elevator was located. All around me were high rising walls adorned with intricate religious gothic carvings and delicate arches that reached toward the high ceiling. The floor was paved with polished marble tiles inlaid with exquisite designs that resonated with gentle echo with every step I took.
In front of me, the corridor was illuminated by a soft radiance of an ethereal glow. Rays of golden morning sunlight pierced through the richly coloured stained glass towering above, casting a kaleidoscope of hues upon the marble floor where shades of vibrant colours competed for attention.
Solace the servo-skull cruised ahead in the air a few steps in front of me, scattering the minute dust particles that were floating lazily in the light, adding a touch of serenity to the scene. For a moment I had the illusion of being inside a six-star hotel of sorts, that I was on a long vacation on Earth visiting a holy site of a far away land.
Walking down the corridor, I was captivated by the interplay of light and shadow that casted dramatic silhouettes on the marble floor. Each step I took revealed new details on the towering stained glass windows, each of them depicting important local historical scenes and many imperial saints in vivid, jewel-toned hues.
At the end of this short but magnificent journey stood Welminah. Illuminated, she glowed with a shimmering sense of spirituality. I could not help but do a double take on the scholarly sister. Something seemed different about her today, something profound but so elusive that even my super human senses could not properly pinpoint.
Welminah bowed deeply. 'Good morning, Lady Syrine.'
'Morning, how are you?' I asked, still feeling a bit worried about the incident yesterday.
She smiled before answering in a completely calm voice. 'Never been better.'
We took the lift down and as we approached the meeting level, I detected Yehai's presence even while being psychically passive. The senior psyker was using her formidable powers and the psychic resonance reached me even while she was quite a distance away.
[Psykana Activa] activated-
As my senses opened to the beyond I saw what was happening: Yehai was probing the minds of the delegates. As soon as Yehai sensed my powers, she greeted me with subtle telepathy, like a light nod to a friend that cut through physical barriers, knowable only between psykers. Mimicking her mannerism, I greeted the elder psyker back and then turned off my active state.
Turning around, I noticed Welminah eyeing me.
'Yes?' I smiled and asked.
'I am sorry!' She quickly bowed and explained, 'it could be nothing, but… did my lady use your powers just now?'
Huh?
'How did you know?'
'I… felt something.' The scholar said sheepishly.
Hey, hey, this got nothing to do with yesterday's accident, right?
As I wondered about the issue, the elevator door opened to reveal Herlindya who was waiting for us. 'Lady Syrine, sister, morning.' The throne agent bowed, looking professional as always but with a distinctive note of, strangely enough, happiness this time.
'Morning, Herlindya. You look extra sunny today.' I said, dropping a probing statement.
The throne agent smiled before saying, 'thanks to you, a somewhat troublesome situation has been painlessly solved.'
While her words revealed nothing, I was able to glimpse what was on her mind. Praise from Thaberus: Good job on getting the upper echelons of the Ecclesiarchy to voluntarily submit for mind probes.
'I have laid the ground rules for the Church's guests.' Herlindya said cheerfully, 'I told them you are under the direct protection of the Holy Inquisition. It is forbidden to ask questions about your background or anything related to the active psychic beacon.'
They knew about the psychic beacon?
I was about to raise that question before remembering that the cardinal was currently rushing back from offworld, probably with the guide of the very beacon, and he had been keeping in contact with his underlings via astropathic messages. Of course the Church knew.
Besides, there must be other sanctioned psykers active on the planet. There was no hiding the beacon from the rich and powerful, it was just not public knowledge for the commoners.
'Holy Daughter,' said a familiar, uniquely pitched voice arriving along with the approach of armoured foot steps. Looking behind Herlindya I saw the owner of that voice, Palatine Dominae Zeal, walking up to me.
Unlike Alicya, Dominae's attire as a full fledge palatine was more decorated; her power armour was edged with silver highlights, a sizable iron halo rose from the top of the power pack on her back while many solid-looking religious trinkets hung together with a sheathed power sword on her waist. The flowing white tabard under her power armour was subtly emblazoned with many repeating symbols of both the Sororitas and the Ecclesiarchy, adding a hint of ranking to her appearance.
Dominae did not wear a helmet, her exposed face was a vision of youthful determination decorated with a few blemishes and scars that spoke of her martial lifestyle, but did little to diminish her overall charm. Spotting a modified version of the classic battle sister haircut with her dark blonde hair, she exuded a serene confidence despite looking to be in her late twenties. Her pair of bright green eyes shimmered with the lights of intelligence and zeal, hinting at the potent blend of compassion and righteous fury unique to the Sororitas.
'Hello, Dominae.' I replied, purposely skipping her title like I did with Alicya and silently hoping she would not treat me like a divine doll. Despite being one of few ranking sisters who knew my real identity, I never had the chance to know her better.
'Greetings, I will be in charge of overseeing your events for today.' Dominae said as she greeted me with the full compliments of an aquila hand sign and a deep bow.
Huh? Where is Alicya? She is supposed to be here today.
'Is this prearranged? Why is Alicya not present?' I decided to ask, but kept my voice as neutral as possible.
'Alicya… is currently repenting in the cabin of solitude as punishment from her dereliction of duty for letting a heretic get close to you. She will be present in the afternoon.' Dominae answered with a hint of nervousness.
What happened yesterday was not - I almost protested out loud before remembering something about how people in power should never display obvious favouritism. Despite how much I like Alicya as a person, my protest might actually hurt her standing in the Order. So instead I simply nodded. 'I see, I will be in your care.'
Seeing I did not react negatively, Dominae smiled, brimming with enthusiasm as she answered. 'I am honoured.'
Together we walked towards the meeting area where Maylin was waiting outside. Her presence pulled my wandering mind back to reality. I was about to meet the Ecclesiarchy dignitaries. That notion made me somewhat nervous and I breathed in deeply, drawing in the cool air that carried with it a faint scent of incense.
I must confess, meeting with the elite high hat gang was not as horrible as I had imagined.
With but a few exceptions, the colourful collection of influential clergy members adorned in their various Ecclesiastical vestments were mostly elderly men. Maylin stuck out like a sore thumb in the crowd of greying elders and late middle-aged individuals, being the only young person in the Church's contingent.
As the official representative assigned to me, Maylin also had the honour of introducing the most respected spiritual leaders on Nusquam, making her stand out even more.
Starting from Archdeacon Ricene Venarrin who I had met briefly before, I was introduced to Deacon Octavius Mortimer, Deacon Maximal Voros, Deacon Lucirius Dornan, Deacon Celestia Veradis, High Confessor Malachi Dravien, High Confessor Caius Valerius, High Abbot Marcus Aurelius, Abbot Ignatius Cromwell, Abbot Benedictus Simeon, High Abbess Seraphina Valerius, Reverend Mother Octavia Sinclair and Lady Amaris Ravencroft.
I met their gazes and nodded as each name was announced. Judging by the trepidation and awe etched on their faces, my guess was that I was as unsettled as them while we traded first impressions.
These were the… elite of the elite the Church had to offer. They certainly looked the part, every individual was a living image of a monolithic priesthood, though some members were clearly better fed than the others with their pristine silky robes and pricey-looking trinkets.
I whispered silent, grateful thanks for my photographic memory, for I knew my old mortal self would have forgotten most of their names by the time the introduction was done.
Unlike them, my true feelings were masked away by [Regalis] while all their expressions were plain to read, and their unguarded thoughts flashed like roadside billboards before my mind.
So breathtaking.
She is like… a living doll.
Absolutely stunning.
Unbelievable presence!
On the other side of the hall were the new batch of candidates in vegetative states, all neatly seated and tied down, ready for the proven procedure from yesterday.
With little else to say to everyone present, I conjured my halo to start my work. As the divine radiance filled the hall for the first time today, the Ecclesiastical guests' eyes widened in awe and disbelief, their mouths agape as they witnessed the tangible manifestation of their God's power for the first time in their lives.
No tricks. No illusion.
From the corner of my sight I caught glimpses of their reaction. After overcoming the initial shock, some of the dignitaries bowed their heads, their lips moving soundlessly in silent prayer. Others were overcome by the weight of the moment, their hands trembling as tears streamed down from their weathered faces.
The archdeacon, while rendered speechless, was still able to keep a dignified demeanour, but his trembling mind was leaking loud thoughts which I picked up easily: Throne on Terra! This light… if we show this to the masses, we would instantly restore the Church's reputation and the number of faithful will explode!
Ignoring the Church's elite, I started working with the now familiar motion by stopping briefly in front of every candidate and blasting them with my powers, scrubbing away any trace of residual warp taint.
Repeating the results from yesterday, one by one I released the candidates from their vegetative state. Behind me, hushed whispers rippled through the assembly as the guests, each trying to comprehend the significance of the moment.
In front of me, the recurring theme of reactions repeated themselves with many of the candidates looking around nervously after being freed from their condition. A few recognised me and asked to confirm if I was the one singing on the battlefield. The cured were then taken away to be further inspected by the people under the Ecclesiarchy stationed next door for final verification.
As the process continued, I felt an increasing amount of frantic thoughts from some of the dignitaries behind me. Even without trying, many of their thoughts effortlessly leaked through.
One was questioning what he was seeing. What in the name of Throne… this is real?
A living saint is here. Another mind echoed, full of sudden existential crisis. A LIVING SAINT! In this inconsequential backwater world? Why? WHY?
I ignored them and continued on with my work. The process went on until one of the candidates, a trooper just like many others, started panicking and asked questions after regaining consciousness. 'Did… did we lose? What will happen to me?' His voice was weak and cracking.
'That depends, are you still loyal and faithful to the Emperor?' I asked and received only blank stares in response. I tried to read his mind but only detected a confused mess. This fella looked suspicious as hell and his silence was deafening. It got awkward and I took note of the closest battle sister tightening the grip on her bolter ever so slightly.
I got a feeling a world of hurt was coming towards this confused individual if this was not resolved immediately. Thinking fast, it occurred to me that this might be a good time to test a technique I learned from yesterday.
Flexing my powers, I quickly flashed the mental image of a stern-faced Emperor in His full psychic glory into the man's mind while demanding a response.
'Answer me.'
Echoes of my question rang out in the hall, only to be answered by a commotion behind me. I turned around and saw a plump middle aged clergyman, who I recognised to be Abbot Benedictus, stumbling on the floor, his high hat on the ground. Did he trip?
As everyone's attention fell on the fallen Abbot, the chubby man suddenly started wailing in distress as tears started streaming from his eyes. In the next moment he was shouting towards heaven.
'God-Emperor! Lord! I… I confess! I have sinned!'
What the hell?
'Abbot, what in the Throne's name are you doing?' Archdeacon Ricene called out, his usual sagely bearing disappeared, taken over by an outrage triggered by the sudden shameful display of his subordinate.
'My Lord! My Light! I beg for your forgiveness and mercy!' Ignoring his superior, with everyone watching in disbelief, the weeping abbot continued to blubber out unbelievable words. More alarmingly, he started crawling towards me like a landed seal, his face an unhealthy shade of red and contorted with duress.
'Stop! Come no closer.' Palatine Dominae ordered and placed herself between me and the crawling clergyman, her bolt pistol drawn. She then raised a fist, and immediately a few nearby battle sisters formed a small protective circle around me while switching off the safety on their bolters with practised ease.
Seeing the sudden escalation, I activated thought acceleration and blasted out [Auspex] to check around for safety concerns. I quickly determined none of the Ecclesiarchy guests, including the one on the floor, were armed, nor carried anything resembling explosives. The sisters got jumpy because of what happened yesterday.
'It is fine, he is not armed.' I whispered to Dominae and turned to the Abbot on the floor. 'Dear father, I wasn't addressing you.' The sorry looking clergyman on the floor froze, then behind him came more commotions as two more guests dropped to their knees.
The hall went into an uproar, and in the chaos Archdeacon Ricene lost all his composure and started ordering the sisters to remove the three clergy members prostrating on the floor.
Looking around, I noticed Maylin covering her mouth with a hand, pure shock and disbelief on her face while most of the sisters, including Welminah, were silently observing the scene with cold disdain.
I turned my attention to the three people on the floor and saw what was going on inside their minds. They were afraid. Deathly afraid. You would think as the top peddlers of institutionalised religion, they would have unshakable faith and would be elated to see any sort of Emperor's miracle for themselves, instead I distinctly felt they were shaken to their core. Why? If it is not as if they were tainted by chaos…
Thinking my halo had somehow caused these people to act out, I turned it off and felt the charged state of the hall immediately went down by a notch. High Confessor Malachi, one of the individuals who knelt down earlier, shakily got back on his feet. Clearly unstable, he pointed a trembling finger at me and shouted with an emotionally charged voice. 'What was that? Who exactly are you? As the high confessor of the Ministorum I demand you to provide irrefutable proof that you are blessed by the God-Emperor himself!'
Most people gasped, a lot more cringed at the high confessor's clearly deranged action. Even the archdeacon looked totally stunned by the development. It was at this moment Welminah silently walked over to the confessor. I could tell she was furious, an angry cloud of emotion floating over her head.
As she stopped in front of the confessor, the elderly clergyman looked at her, confusion on his face. With everyone looking, Welminah delivered a swift hefty slap on the confessor's cheek, the resounding fleshy clap resonated loudly in the hall.
Oh my god.
Everyone went quiet, and Welminah spoke in a frighteningly calm voice. 'How dare you talk to Lady Syrine with such insolence. Her actions saved countless Nusquamese and she has saved our world from damnation by facing down a greater daemon. Even now she is saving more of our people, where were you during those trying times?'
Recovering from the shock of being slapped in front of the whole crowd, Malachi angrily pointed an accusatory finger at Welminah and continued his tirade. 'You dare to hit me? Assault! She committed assault! Sisters! Abide your duties as members of our chamber militant, arrest this woman for striking a senior member of the Church!' He looked frantically at the surrounding battle sisters, urging them to take action, but nobody moved.
'That's enough!'
An elegant voice called out with an authoritative tone, ceasing the frantic standoff. Pulling all the attention in the hall, Herlindya appeared with a wolfish grin on her pretty face, psyker Yehai by her side and a squad of inquisitorial stormtroopers behind her back.
Tactical boots clicking sharply on the marble floor, the throne agent walked slowly towards the centre of the hall as she made an announcement. 'Throne on Terra as our witness, everyone here including our saint candidate, sisters of Sororitas and esteemed members of the Church all witnessed what just happened.'
Herlindya then paused, letting black cladded stormtroopers fan out behind her as she raised a small inquisitorial rosette. 'As the ranking agent of the Holy Inquisition present, I find the behaviour of these individuals to be highly suspicious. With the authority conferred to me by Inquisitor Thaberus Thorn of the Ordo Hereticus, I hereby order an immediate arrest on these three individuals for further investigation.'
She then turned to the archdeacon. 'Your grace, do you object to this?' Archdeacon Ricene had no reply, he was busy facepalming himself with a hand and was looking down at the floor. The other clergy members exchanged glances with grim faces, a shared understanding passing between them on the pending fallout that would follow.
What a mess, all this because I misfired my powers? I thought as my attention turned back to the initial target of my test, the young man who was still tied to the chair. He looked to be in some sort of shock and had tears forming around his eyes. He was whimpering so softly that probably only I could hear his words.
'I am loyal… I am loyal… I am loyal.'
I got a feeling this was going to be a long day.