Word Bearers - Opening Chapters....Feedback Required

Chapter 1 – The Beginning

“and so it should be…Nabu we grant you the rank of Apostle with, which to spread the word”

“and so shall it be” came a chorus of voices from around the darkened room.

The man in centre of the room lit by a single candle rose from his crouched position still with his head bowed. “I thank the council for this chance, I will spread the word to those who have not yet heard it”

“You have studied the scriptures well and proven yourself on the battlefield, we expect great things…”

“I will serve the gods and preach the word of Lorgar”

“That you will…now go, gather your men and begin your pilgrimage to true enlightenment as Lorgar did”

The newly appointed apostle turned and began to leave the room, as he left the chorus of voices began again speaking a prayer in the name of Lorgar.

As he made his exit, the great doors to the council chambers came open and the light of the world poured onto him, as he left the chamber he whispered a short prayer to himself, to help him embark on his journey. A short walk from the chamber Nabu arrived at his quarters on the daemon world of Sicarius. He pressed the pad on the door and the doors to his hab-cell threw themselves open to reveal a simple hab with nothing more than the cot, scriptures and the new armour of his host.  It was a dark red and silver design, common amongst the Word Bearers legion, but with new adornments and scriptures on the legs and shoulderpads in a bright gold, each scripture a testament to the Book of Lorgar. The hulking astartes walked towards his new armour, thumbing his fingers over the different folds and curves, these would be his tools for which to deliver the word and for that he was grateful. Although he taken a back by the grandeur of his position, his true blessing was the crozious for which he would help shape the future of the world.

With a loud buzz a monitor turned on behind him, the ghostly figure of a deck hand appeared “My lord, your ship is ready for your pilgrimage, shall I assemble the men?”

The figure slowly turned to face the screen “Assemble the men, it is our turn to bring the word to the galaxy…”

“By your word Lord”

The viewing screen switched off, leaving Nabu with his thoughts on the journey that he was to undertake. He began to take his armour off the racks and began to adorn it on him. Fully clad he left his hab and went to the hangar bay where a old imperial thunderhawk was waiting to take him and his host to his assigned cruiser: Fates Reach.

As he approached the thunderhawk his new followers dedicated to his word were already embarking on to the ship awaiting the word. In his terminator armour, Nabu’s steps were heavy but with the mass of servos built into armour he was unstrained by the movement. He clambered up the assault ramp “It is time brothers, let us begin our pilgrimage”

“By your word”

As the words were spoken the assault ramps closed behind Nabu and he moved to take his seat in the airship. With a roar, the engines powered up but not a single marine twitched and the bird began to leave the hangar ready to depart to the Fates Reach. Not a word was spoken by the Apostle or his brothers on the journey, each in quiet contemplation of the journey laid out ahead of them.

Finally, the Thunderhawk approached Fates Reach, a voice came over the vox channel, “Welcome My Lord, We live to serve you and the word…Your quarters are ready for you”

The Apostle, still in contemplation of his personal pilgrimage, the reason he had been granted this position was to complete a single task, a task that he did not fully understand yet, gave no response.  The bird landed in the hangar of fates reach, the deafening roar of the engines cut out and the assault ramps lowered. “We have arrived my lord, your pilgrimage can begin”

The warriors of the word departed the thunderhawk to be met by a series of men clad in dirty imperial uniforms. As the armoured warriors approached the small contingent of men they saluted, dwarfed by the warriors in their red armour. “Welcome aboard my lord, this ship is in your service, by your word we will serve your host the best that we can”

“You will serve to your end, in the name of Word…we are the Bringers of the Word and we will deliver it to the Imperium”

The Apostle waved his hand at the men and they lowered their arms and began to ease themselves around the astartes. “My lord, we are going to ready the ship to depart, do you have your first destination of your pilgrimage in mind?” asked the still nervous Fleet Commander.

“To Lastrati” was the only response that came from the Apostle.

Lastrati was once a place of pilgrimage, until the Black Templars arrived and had, under the order of Marshal Gervhart, cleansed the world of the taint that had taken hold. This was where the pilgrimage would have to begin, where they would look for the first answers to their quest. Although it was believed that the Black Templars had long forgotten the world and left it to ways, believing its taint removed, this was not the case. The world was still steeped in heresy and this is where Nabu would begin the recruitment into his host.

Chapter 2 – The Appointing of an Apprentice

The journey to Lastrati would take three terran weeks, ample time for the warriors of fates reach to prepare themselves, should the devout taint of the Black Templars still be present. Nabu believed firmly in the word and spent the majority of his time reading the word, letting the feelings flow through him, empowering him to be a devout follower of Lorgar. His fellow astartes however had focused more on the training at hand, spending their time focusing on being combat ready, one in particular had caught Nabu’s eye on the solemn occasions that he had left his quarters, Erra. Although Erra was like other astartes, large in mass and devout in faith to the book of Lorgar, his passion was like no other Nabu had encountered in his time serving the Word Bearers in their various crusades across the galaxy. Erra was born in the eye of terror and had been brought up on the book of Lorgar even before he had been inducted in to the ranks of the astartes.

Nabu decided that he needed to meet with Erra, this young astartes had drawn his attention, he sent a message via the vox on the ship. Erra was sparring with a combat servitor in the training grounds of the battle cruiser when the message finally reached him. As the message appeared the servitor thrust at Erra with a long sword, the astartes reflexes easily dodging the blade and thrusting his own power sword into the servitor, causing oil to exhale from the newly formed wound. The servitor was no more and collapsed in a heap as he turned to face the viewer screen. The fleet commander, that Erra had identified as Adanu, appeared on the screen “Greetings Lord, Apostle Nabu requires your presence in his chambers immediately”

“By his word, I will be there shortly”

“Thank you my Lord”

And the screen turned off, as quickly as it had turned on. Erra went to the weapons rack, returning his power sword to the sheathe, grabbing a cloth from the side he wiped off the sweat from his body, adorning his robe, he left the training grounds to see the one that would bring the word to him.

 Nabu was sitting at his throne looking through the scriptures of Lorgar as Erra entered his chambers. “Aah my son, you have arrived. Do you know why I have asked you here?”

“No sire, I seek your divine wisdom on the summoning”

“I have a special interest in you Erra, you are truly devout of the word and that is to be commended in one so young”

The Chaplain began to leave his seat, moving towards his brother, “I feel that you follow the word as I do, and I want to train you fully in the following of the word”.

“I am honoured to be offered such an opportunity, I will not disappoint you”

“You best not my brother, for your death will be a simple blessing instead of the pain and horror inflicted by those from the warp”

Although to any human it would of seemed that Erra had not moved, Nabu with his astartes senses noticed the twitch of horror on his face, realising that his failure would lead to eternal damnation by the gods.

“Although I am the bearer of the word, you will help convert brothers to our cause”

“I am to be charged with the recruitment to our host?”

Nabu stood there, seeing the genuine question as more of a joke, yet realising that this was a serious request addressed his apprentice

“Yes Erra, I will spread the word and you will help preach it to our new brothers, enlightening them of the word of Lorgar”

“By your Word…”

“Leave me now Erra, I must consider the great word and how it can best support us in our pilgrimage”

Without further comment, Erra left his lord alone to consider the word and to consider his newly appointed task.

*     *     *

Fates Reach was approaching the world of Lastrati and in that time all of the host had focused on the upcoming task of seeking the enlightenment of the world, of what the Black Templars had seeked and found, although not to their liking, could be a key to the freeing of the daemon spirits and proving to the Gods that they were worthy of notice. Nabu had seeked enlightment in the weeks leading up to arriving in orbit of Lastrati, pouring over the books of Lorgar deciphering the will of the gods…is it of a focus of bloodlust, of spreading plague, the sensation of englightenment or focusing on the hope of making change…either way Nabu saw the answer in the world of Lastrati.