11-10-2017, 10:46 PM
A flash of blinding light came as she passed through, it took a moment for Evangeline to adjust to the dark relm. Her strides crushed tall grass beneath her plasteel boots. The air was cold and heavy, and there was a scent of stagnant water over the familiar stench of decay. The sister felt as though she was back on the battlefield, and as unnerving as that was it was better than the void she'd just walked from. In the distance she could make out a settlement, hard to make out in this light, but it's silhouette allowed her to identify it as a feudal one. There was some evidence of agriculture, but the wooden buildings that would have been homesteads and barns had their roofs pealed and their structure exposed.
In the ground Evangeline could see what looked like fresh foot prints heading off in the direction of the settlement. Though she doubted those in a feudal hold would be much help to her if it was still inhabited, however perhaps the individual who had stepped through the portal before her knew more about her situation than she did. With little else to go on she made moves.
The tracks lead her to a field outside of a homestead, this one very much inhabited. She could see light flickering from a candle inside. Her eyes were drawn to the field however, as she noted immense claw like gouges in the earth, so large that they couldn't have belong to anything other than a daemonic hell beast or a xenos abomination. The grass was flattened and the ground compressed where one had presumably fallen. But there was no blood, no viscera. A fresh battleground missing vital evidence. It was very peculiar. The sound of gravel crunching under leather sandals drew her eyes up again as her lasgun found its way into her hands.
"Whatcha doing out here?" an old voice said. She was met by an elderly man dressed in coarse woven clothing, frail and emaciated, to which she instinctively raised her weapon. "Ah, I didn't mean any harm!" he said, cowering at the sight of her advanced rifle.
Evangeline lowered it, slinging it back over her shoulder and raised her hand to apologise. "Sorry for startling you." She said, her impassive grimace melting into a warm and welcoming if slightly apologetic smile. "This land is so strange, and I'm a little on edge."
The elderly man cautiously straightened up. "Are yer Prime?" he said with some trepidation.
"I don't know what a prime is, unfortunately." Evangeline replied, again apologetically. It was not uncommon for worlds lost to the Imperium, untouched by the war to have many of the Imperial Truths fall to legend. If she was to guess, a prime would be in reference to a Primarch, one of the Sons of the Emperor and founder of an Astartes chapter. Either way, she had to be cautious what she said, lest she undermine any sisters of the Orders Famulous to come after her. "I am a Sister Almoness of the Order of the Eternal Candle." she said with a polite bow "Sister Evangeline."
"Well, Sister Evangeline." He said, relaxing quite a bit. "I suppose I can't hold it against ya, you're not wrong. Not a few hours ago we were attacked by some beasts. Were it not for that red haired lass we'd be gonners."
"I take it she was the one responsible for the damage to the crop?" Evangeline replied with a raised eyebrow.
"Aye, but can't hold it against her. Like I said, some big scary beasts attacked us."
"Where are the bodies?" She asked again, this time her tone growing more inquisitorial.
"I have no idea. The girl skewered them and then they." He radiated his hands out "Poof, vanished."
"Hm." Evangeline hummed thoughtfully. It was not unheard of for abominations to vanish upon execution, but there was always something remaining of them. Some foul smelling bile or a heretic artifact. Here there was nothing, indicating that it was something else. "Where did this woman go?" She asked "I'd like to speak with her."
"To Darkshire." the man said, lifting a pointed finger to the settlement on the horizon. "She was going to get us some medical supplies, in fact." His inflection took on a slightly embarrassed tone. "From the red of your cloak I thought you might be her."
"Medical supplies? Is someone hurt?" Evangeline said, changing subject with genuine concern.
"Me boy got sliced up in the attack." he said "The girl was kind enough to help us."
"I'm a medical practitioner and still have some supplies. If you would like, I could treat him before I go." The sister offered.
"I'd very much appreciate it miss."
***
They were some horrible wounds. Deep gashes, along the boys arms and abdomen, and she could feel the swollen flesh from internal bleeding. The wife had done well by using sheets and bandages to reduce the bleeding, but there was still a large circle of blood on the mattress and only the Emperor knew what was going on inside him. Evangeline lamented being away from her triage supplies, she'd have liked to have given him a transfusion. As it was all she could do was disinfect the wounds and sew him up. She worked quickly, her expert hands quickly connecting the severed arteries, closing the wounds.
When she was done she estimated a 60 percent chance of survival, though she didn't inform them of that. Without a full chirugeons kit and a sterile operating theater there was little else anyone with any medical sense dare do.
"I've done what I can, but he's not out of the woods yet." She said, removing a set of disposable gloves and discarding them in a wooden bowl. "You'll need to give him fresh, dry linen, and be careful you don't split his stitches. You need to keep him warm and hydrated."
"Thank you so much!" The woman cried, grabbing sister around the waste, balling her eyes out.
"Please, think nothing of it." she said, her arms flattened against the woman's chest. But it was to no avail, the woman held on with all the gratitude in her heart for what seemed like an age. The only thing ending the bear hug was the sound of Evangeline's stomach growling.
"Oh my, are you hungry?" the woman asked, ending her hug to grab the sister by the shoulders to inspect her. "Please, stay for supper."
"I would love too, but I must move on." Evangeline said, talking the opportunity to force herself to her feet. "Please, worry not about me. Your son needs your care right now."
The woman darted off as though hit with a brilliant thought. "Then you must take some bread with you and you can eat it as you walk." She said to her self
"That won't be -" The sister was about to protest but her stomach cut her off. It had been 3 hours since she left the battlefield, and before that she was already due a ration. "Actually, that would be most appreciated." She said with a bashful smile.
***
It wasn't excellent, but the bread now filling her made her feel a little better. She couldn't help but smile slightly as she walked away from the house. As she walked she continued to look for signs of the red haired woman with a silent prayer that she would hold the answers the sister sought.
In the ground Evangeline could see what looked like fresh foot prints heading off in the direction of the settlement. Though she doubted those in a feudal hold would be much help to her if it was still inhabited, however perhaps the individual who had stepped through the portal before her knew more about her situation than she did. With little else to go on she made moves.
The tracks lead her to a field outside of a homestead, this one very much inhabited. She could see light flickering from a candle inside. Her eyes were drawn to the field however, as she noted immense claw like gouges in the earth, so large that they couldn't have belong to anything other than a daemonic hell beast or a xenos abomination. The grass was flattened and the ground compressed where one had presumably fallen. But there was no blood, no viscera. A fresh battleground missing vital evidence. It was very peculiar. The sound of gravel crunching under leather sandals drew her eyes up again as her lasgun found its way into her hands.
"Whatcha doing out here?" an old voice said. She was met by an elderly man dressed in coarse woven clothing, frail and emaciated, to which she instinctively raised her weapon. "Ah, I didn't mean any harm!" he said, cowering at the sight of her advanced rifle.
Evangeline lowered it, slinging it back over her shoulder and raised her hand to apologise. "Sorry for startling you." She said, her impassive grimace melting into a warm and welcoming if slightly apologetic smile. "This land is so strange, and I'm a little on edge."
The elderly man cautiously straightened up. "Are yer Prime?" he said with some trepidation.
"I don't know what a prime is, unfortunately." Evangeline replied, again apologetically. It was not uncommon for worlds lost to the Imperium, untouched by the war to have many of the Imperial Truths fall to legend. If she was to guess, a prime would be in reference to a Primarch, one of the Sons of the Emperor and founder of an Astartes chapter. Either way, she had to be cautious what she said, lest she undermine any sisters of the Orders Famulous to come after her. "I am a Sister Almoness of the Order of the Eternal Candle." she said with a polite bow "Sister Evangeline."
"Well, Sister Evangeline." He said, relaxing quite a bit. "I suppose I can't hold it against ya, you're not wrong. Not a few hours ago we were attacked by some beasts. Were it not for that red haired lass we'd be gonners."
"I take it she was the one responsible for the damage to the crop?" Evangeline replied with a raised eyebrow.
"Aye, but can't hold it against her. Like I said, some big scary beasts attacked us."
"Where are the bodies?" She asked again, this time her tone growing more inquisitorial.
"I have no idea. The girl skewered them and then they." He radiated his hands out "Poof, vanished."
"Hm." Evangeline hummed thoughtfully. It was not unheard of for abominations to vanish upon execution, but there was always something remaining of them. Some foul smelling bile or a heretic artifact. Here there was nothing, indicating that it was something else. "Where did this woman go?" She asked "I'd like to speak with her."
"To Darkshire." the man said, lifting a pointed finger to the settlement on the horizon. "She was going to get us some medical supplies, in fact." His inflection took on a slightly embarrassed tone. "From the red of your cloak I thought you might be her."
"Medical supplies? Is someone hurt?" Evangeline said, changing subject with genuine concern.
"Me boy got sliced up in the attack." he said "The girl was kind enough to help us."
"I'm a medical practitioner and still have some supplies. If you would like, I could treat him before I go." The sister offered.
"I'd very much appreciate it miss."
***
They were some horrible wounds. Deep gashes, along the boys arms and abdomen, and she could feel the swollen flesh from internal bleeding. The wife had done well by using sheets and bandages to reduce the bleeding, but there was still a large circle of blood on the mattress and only the Emperor knew what was going on inside him. Evangeline lamented being away from her triage supplies, she'd have liked to have given him a transfusion. As it was all she could do was disinfect the wounds and sew him up. She worked quickly, her expert hands quickly connecting the severed arteries, closing the wounds.
When she was done she estimated a 60 percent chance of survival, though she didn't inform them of that. Without a full chirugeons kit and a sterile operating theater there was little else anyone with any medical sense dare do.
"I've done what I can, but he's not out of the woods yet." She said, removing a set of disposable gloves and discarding them in a wooden bowl. "You'll need to give him fresh, dry linen, and be careful you don't split his stitches. You need to keep him warm and hydrated."
"Thank you so much!" The woman cried, grabbing sister around the waste, balling her eyes out.
"Please, think nothing of it." she said, her arms flattened against the woman's chest. But it was to no avail, the woman held on with all the gratitude in her heart for what seemed like an age. The only thing ending the bear hug was the sound of Evangeline's stomach growling.
"Oh my, are you hungry?" the woman asked, ending her hug to grab the sister by the shoulders to inspect her. "Please, stay for supper."
"I would love too, but I must move on." Evangeline said, talking the opportunity to force herself to her feet. "Please, worry not about me. Your son needs your care right now."
The woman darted off as though hit with a brilliant thought. "Then you must take some bread with you and you can eat it as you walk." She said to her self
"That won't be -" The sister was about to protest but her stomach cut her off. It had been 3 hours since she left the battlefield, and before that she was already due a ration. "Actually, that would be most appreciated." She said with a bashful smile.
***
It wasn't excellent, but the bread now filling her made her feel a little better. She couldn't help but smile slightly as she walked away from the house. As she walked she continued to look for signs of the red haired woman with a silent prayer that she would hold the answers the sister sought.