# Chapel of Faith



## melsaphim (Jan 1, 2010)

I've posted this on Wip (as Conclave) and Deviantart (as Melsaphim) and so thought i would post it here for you to all enjoy, or atleast i hope you will.

Chapel of Faith​
Banners flew proud. Black and red banners spread out against the pale blue sky, lining the great chapel that echoed the voices of the choir within. Voices that sang out loud the praises of the emperor in defiance of the horrors that surrounded them. Voices that could not be silenced.

The chapel itself rose up to the sky with tall, white towers. Challenging those who stood outside, those who would defile it to make their move, to attack the last Bastion of the Order of St Divine. Those holy warrior sisters who now sang out loud within the mighty halls of their chapel, now stood, assembled in their power armour, before the alter of the god emperor of mankind. 

The sisters who had known what fate was chosen for them since their city had fallen to heretic fanatics. Sisters who now knew they were to die, stood ready to accept their fate, to accept their deaths at the hands of those heretics who now stood surrounding their chapel. And each one made silent vows that they would not die in vain or shame. They would die fighting the enemies of mankind. They would die with weapons in hands. They would die Sisters of Battle.

Isabelle Divine, so named after the holy living saint to which the sisters owed their allegiance, stood at the head of her fellow sisters, resplendent in her bone white armour of office. Each white plate that formed that amour adorned with the names of fallen sisters, sisters who fell fighting with weapons in hands and who now are only memories in the minds of their brethren. 

Isabelle had taken a vow with each of them that they would always be remembered within their order once death took them. And so she honoured that vow. Every sister that had fallen to mankind's foes now had their name adorning the armour of their most holy cannoness. The armour would be passed from cannoness to cannoness as each one fell in battle and passed to stand astride the golden throne. The memories of those who had fallen would live on forever. 

She stood leading them in their songs and preparing them for the battle to come. She turned and stood gazing at her sisters, each one stood in their *********** armour, hands on heart, voices ringing loud. Isabelle felt a sudden sense of pride as she looked at the faces of each of her sisters in turn. Not one showing fear at the battle to come. Not one looking sorrowful at the prospect of their approaching demise. Not one Wavering in their faith.

That pride was soon replaced by Sorrow. These were not only her sisters in spirit but more, as their cannoness Isabelle had forged bonds with all of their order and now considered that she may never set eyes upon any of them again. Gazing down at her right arm the cannoness studied the names written there, a small measure of names etched into the armour rested there, but each death had been hard felt with their sisters. 

Isabelle knew not if any of her sisters could survive if by some miracle their life was not taken in the coming battle, such were the bonds between sisters, so strong that the loss of a single sister was mourned for weeks. She slowly drifted her gaze to the other parts of her armour, knowing that soon many names would fill the spaces. But it would not be one of her sisters writing the names, for not one of them would survive their coming ordeal. No. Isabelle had left requests with the Ecclesiarchy that if her body be recovered the names of her sisters be written upon the armour and that it be placed within the sacred holds of Terra, a tribute to the sacrifices made for mankind. But now was not the time for sorrow. 

Isabelle turned once more to face the alter, a single tear running down the face of the cannoness. After several moments Isabelle could feel the eyes of her Celestian retinue resting upon her. She turned to regard her bodyguard, stood aside from their leader at the edge of the chapel. Hidden in the shadows in their bone *********** armour. Perfectly matched with the armour of the other sisters, only one difference separated the Celestians from them sisters. Each one had written the names of their fallen comrades upon the arms of their armour, imitating the act their cannoness had undertaken to honour the fallen. Isabelle looked at their faces and saw open amazement etched their. 

Remembering the single tear that had fallen upon her face Isabelle moved her hand up to her cheek, Upon finding the small moist track that marked the passage of her fallen tear Isabelle removed her hand from her face, ashamed that she was showing such weakness before her sisters. And yet her Celestians still maintained their gaze upon her. Looking down at her hand Isabelle noticed the red mark that rested over her fingers. She did not know where it came from. Then she remembered. But it couldn't be. 

Isabelle moved her hand to her face once again and placed her hand over the track of her tear. Removing her hand once more from her face Isabelle looked down and once more saw another red smudge upon her fingers. She turned once more to face her Celestians and noticed the looks of amazement had turned to near hysterical joy. Their faces were a glow at the miracle that they saw before them. One of the Retinue could no longer contain her feelings and began singing out loud the songs of saint Divine, the saint known for shedding tears of blood at the loss of each of her sisters. Once the first had begun their singing it was mere moments before the rest of the cannoness' retinue joined in with the others, their voices echoing throughout the chapel and slowly drawing the other sisters from their own verse. The battle sisters looked up towards their cannoness as she turned fully to regard them, each one pausing only moments upon setting eyes on he face of their leader before joining the Celestians in their songs. For in front of them stood a miracle. 

Any comments are most welcome :biggrin:


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