Rosetta - A Warhammer 40,000 Story

Part III

Soon the elite Celestians flowed in. Silent and swift they searched the great hall. Soon Mirabel followed the last one in on the back of her blessed lion. He growled and roared as if offended by some presence.

"Hush, Praetor," Mirabel said as she petted the beast.

Without hesitation, Rosetta came to her side. She removed her helmet and bowed her head she sheathed her sword and made the sign of the Aquila.

"The traitors had are no more, my lady!" She reported.

"Aye, but have they have left something behind? Clues, omens, evidence of their reasons for turning from his light. Find them!" The Canoness demanded.

Rosetta considered loyally showing the jewel to her lady but then she hesitated.

No, she'll be displeased to see it! She cannot be displeased!

The thought crept into her mind and stayed her hand. Instead, she hid it. She slipped it into an empty ammo pouch and purged it from her mind; leaving Mirabel none the wiser.

"We must search this place then move on." She ordered.

Rosetta bowed her head again.

"As you wish my lady." She replied.

Rosetta searched the corpses and combed the walls with the others. Looking past shattered jewels and burnt books she carried on. That is until she felt an odd breeze tickle her right cheek.

She turned to its source and squinted as she found light where there should be none. She gasped as it turns out to be a secret tunnel. A passageway through which survivors could escape.

"Hidden passage!" She called out.

"Mara!" Mirabel demanded.

With a nod one of the Celestians stepped forth while all others withdrew. Mara drew her melta and took aim while Mirabel mounted back onto Praetor. With a single blast of immolating heat, she blew a massive hole into the rock.

With that Praetor took off. Roaring with righteous rage and zeal, it charged into the tunnel. Unwilling to let her lady go she caught onto the mighty lion's side and gracefully swung onto his back.

Grabbing hold of her lady, she clung on with all her might. Pulling herself up against Mirabel's back she felt a blissful haze overcome her. Her heart throbbed, her breath left her, and every muscle in her body trembled with bliss.

Mirabel's scent, her silky silver hair, her passion, her soul, her everything was the perfected work of the divine. She praised the emperor of every heart-throbbing moment she spent clinging to her lady's body.

Mirabel grew too focused on the hunt. Rosetta was an insignificant detail compared to the prize at hand. Praetor growled as he caught the scent of the enemy in the air. The beast sped up even more. Almost straining in his efforts.

A flash of golden light made Mirabel flinch, and a bolt cut her left temple as it passed her by. Drawing Mirabel's pistol Rosetta fired into the forest. Her high explosive shells blew away the trunk of a colossal tree.

It toppled over and came crashing down. Its immense size and mass drove the enemy out into the open. She was not surprised to find three more golden warriors scurrying out of the darkness.

Mirabel drew her power sword and in one fluid motion decapitated one in an instant. While Praetor pounced on the second, shredding it with ease under its mighty paws. All the while Rosetta gunned down the last one.

Without pause, they charged off, ever further into the wilderness in search of their prey. Leaping over logs and surging along narrow roads through the woods; they became lost amidst the thick undergrowth.