Of Beasts and Knights

"He either found work, joined the army, or is living, or died a beggar."

"Found work. In stirland? Ha. And joined the army? he was fourteen at most when I would have been presumed dead. too young for that."

"There's smiths surely, butchers, bakers in need of apprentices."

"Stirland's poor. And constantly being attacked by greenskins and the undead. And occasionally our neighbors. Even if he did find work, no job that'd take him would pay enough to keep him alive."

"well, your brother's dead then i'm afraid."

"....*she's trembling a bit. her eyes have gone very blank... but she was like that just before he said that...it wasn't what he said*"

"...Lass?"

she falls to her knees

"uuhh. Lass?"

she's shivering now, head in her hands

"You havin a moment there?"

the floor around her starts shaking. And cracking.

*Heigen crouches down in front of her. and gently shakes her shoulder, his huge, armoured spiked gauntlet dwarfing her shoulder* "Ay, lass. Calm down."

*at which point she throws back her head and screams. A concussive blast of psychic energy goes in all directions*

*Heigen gets thrown a fair distance, not as far as you'd expect, given the modicum of protection khorne's mark provides against sorcery. but he slams against the city walls with quite some force.* "By the gods!"

she's on all fours now. hyperventilating.

*he clambers up, and walks back over. crouching at her side again* "Come on lass, get your shit together." *he again puts a hand on her shoulder*

"He's....he's worse than dead"

"What are you talking about?"

"I tried to forget.... wanted to forget...."

"Come on lass. You need a drink. We'll talk."

she tries to stand. she's trembling a lot.

"Wait here a moment." *he walks over to a nearby well, hauls the bucket up, and douses himself with water, washing off most of the blood caked onto him* "Right." *With that, he picks her up an arm under her legs and her back*

she's trying to catch her breath

"No clue what that was. But i reckon whatever these southern cowards pass off as drink will cure it."

"No...n-no"

*he stops walking.* "Whats the issue?"

"My brother.... the vampires killed him. Brought him back as one of their... thralls..."

"Poor fate for any man."

she's on the verge of crying

"You're better than that." *he gives her a pointed look, if such a thing is possible through an inch of steel plate shaped into a skull.*

"He was...all I had... the only reason I joined up in the first place....I'd still be home if I hadn't tried to look after him..."

"And you'd be dead too. But your alive, and blessed by khorne himself. So quit your bitching, and plan revenge."

"Do you have any idea what the beasts did to me?! The torment that I would have avoided?!"

"We've all been through hell girl. It makes you stronger."

"You've never had to kill your own unborn child that someone forced inside you!"

"No. I haven't. But plenty have. Only the gods know what zyleena has endured, she doesn't speak of it, Golen suffered nurgle's rot for years before giving in to grandfather, vorstan sailed across the great ocean on a canoe. A fucking canoe. You're not the only one who's suffered hardship girl."

she goes to say something...but goes a little quiet

"This armour." *he looks down at himself* "Its part of me now. You don't want to know how. We all have our torments, be grateful yours were fleeting."

"...fleeting?"

"They happened, you had to deal with them, now they are gone. They left scars but the event itself... lost to time."

"....I wouldn't call so many years I don't remember my brother's face anymore fleeting"

"He's dead. Everyone looses people. Be glad you didn't kill him yourself."

she goes quiet again, avoiding his gaze

"I killed my own sister. Bare hands, it was all i had. She came at me with a kitchen knife. Told me it was tzeentch's will. Thats the problem, being favoured by one god. All the others will do anything to hurt eachother." *He gives her a meaningful stare, the eyes behind the helmet looking... approaching sorrowful. Or as close to it as heigen would ever be.*

"Heigen.... *she's having trouble with her words* I'm... sorry"

"But look at me! Do i cry in the arms of men who've tried to kill me? No i pick up the nearest piece of pointed metal and get my revenge on the world... One head at a time."

"You're stronger than I am"

"Bullshit. You're blessed same as i am. Use your anger."

"You know how. I don't... look at me. Just a scared fucking little girl."

"This is why the beasts took you. They're cowards, all of them. The only prey they take is even more pathetic cowards."