# Sacrifice - Part 4



## Unknown Soldier (Oct 24, 2008)

Well, it would appear that my short story is turning into a novellette, so apologies for the way in which it's expanding. Don't worry, it will come to an end over the next few parts.

Here's the latest installment and as always - enjoy.

Sacrifice Part 4

Lexington scanned the surface with the escape pod’s sensors and could find only one tiny area of human habitation, a coastal village surrounded by farms and temples on the north eastern fringes of the planet’s third continent. He set the co-ordinates and pressed the launch button and the fragile pod was jettisoned by the Messenger towards the ground below.

During the rough and turbulent entry through the atmosphere, Lexington prepared his weapons and steeled his nerve for what was to come. Many a time he had exited from a drop pod to be met with a hail of plasma or bolter fire from a determined enemy intent on his destruction. The pod’s thrusters kicked in a few hundred feet from the ground and the descent of the craft slowed immensely before touching down with a thud on the surface.

This was it. In a few seconds the door of the escape pod would open and Lexington had to face whatever this supposedly dead planet could throw at him. His mind raced and tactical decisions and evasion plans began to focus his thoughts and he ready himself for what might lie ahead. What is waiting for him, what terrible unworldy threat would he have to face? Chaos, daemons, aliens, heretics, mutants or perhaps combinations thereof. Levelling his bolter, the door to the escape pod opened.

An elderly farmer wearing a tattered cotton hat and a manure covered smock greeted Lexington has he emerged from the pod.

‘Hello stranger, welcome to Verity.’ Grinned the old man.

‘What is happening here?’ demanded Lexington.

‘We’re getting ready for harvest, the corn is almost fully grown and tomorrow is the Dawn Festival. But what am I thinking? You’re not here for the festival, you’re here to see Saint Augustine’ responded the farmer in an overtly friendly manner.

‘Saint Augustine?’ Lexington replied perplexed. He had been educated by numerous priests and sisters during his initiation into the Chapter and not once had he heard this name.

‘You’re a Space Marine, aren’t you?’ laughed the old man.

‘I am Sergeant Kris Lexington, Third Company Fast Attack, the Crimson Fists’ responded Lexington, pride and strength in his every word.

‘I will take that as a yes. Saint Augustine rests in the chapel garden and though normally she is not to be disturbed, I’m sure she will receive your audience noble Space Marine’ the farmer said in an almost mocking tone.

‘She will, will she?’ Lexington asked suspiciously.

‘Oh yes, I will have Malia take you to her.’ The old man’s grin changed slightly and a sparkle lit in his eye as he waved his hand towards a village maiden watching from the edge of the settlement.

‘And where will you be during this…audience?’ Lexington inquired, carefully studying the old man. The farmer did not look like a threat but he had been deceived before and the forces of Chaos were well known for their shape shifting abilities.

‘I have a very important duty to this village which cannot wait. I’m in charge of decorations this year and if I don’t find enough silver flax, then it’s going to be a very drab festival indeed.’ The old man chuckled as he turned to leave Lexington. The farmer gave a friendly nod to the approaching village maiden and went on his way.

‘Tell me girl, have others like me been to your world recently?’ Lexington asked Malia as they walked amongst a collection of ruined temples half a mile from the coastal village.

‘My yes, we receive pilgrimages on an almost weekly basis and a warrior such as yourself arrives at least twice a year to see Saint Augustine, it is a regular occurrence’ responded Malia, a young and pretty girl, no older then nineteen, who’s flirtatious tone and comely gate was wasted on Lexington.

'Warriors such as myself' Lexington ran her words over and over again in his mind. Other Space Marines had visited this place, perhaps Sergeant Ward had been one of them. Or perhaps the warriors she spoke of were associated with Chaos and in her ignorance, she could not tell the difference between the two.

‘What can you tell me of this Saint Augustine?’ Lexington asked quizzically, hoping to garner as much intelligence on the situation as possible without giving away his obvious lack of knowledge.

‘She is one of the Emperor’s chosen and saviour of this world’ Malia replied with a smile on her face.

‘How exactly did she save Verity?’ This question more then any other would give the Sergeant an idea about what kind of force he would be dealing with.

‘For someone on a pilgrimage, you don’t seem to know a lot about religion’ laughed Malia in reply.

I know a lot more about religion then you do girl, Lexington angrily thought to himself, I have been schooled by Preachers, Missionaries, Confessors and Librarians about every facet of the Ecclesiarchy and the Imperial Cult. I know the name of every saint, martyr, hero and order within the Imperium of Mankind, and your Saint Augustine is not one of them.

‘I am new to the teachings of Saint Augustine and I have a lot of questions’ came the eventual response from Lexington, his soft tone belying his true intentions.

The village girl was leading Lexington through a series of ruined chapels, shrines and graveyards. He studied the structures carefully, the stone work was crumbling and decayed, hiding the fact that they had once been proud monuments to the Imperium. His keen eye could make out areas that had been strafed with weapon fire or explosions and small hills that were once makeshift bunkers or burial grounds. There had been a mighty battle amongst these stones but by the state of the overgrown vegetation, it had been some time ago.

And where others might have stopped to marvel at an ornate piece of masonry or felt sadness for the disrepair and collapse of once great structures, all Lexington could do was survey his surroundings for examples of cover and sniping positions, which might threaten or aid him in the event of an attack.

‘We have arrived at her resting place, if you have questions, then I’m sure Saint Augustine will answer them to your satisfaction’ Malia said, her hands gesturing towards the broken foundations of a mausoleum located behind a chapel at the centre of the ruins.

‘What do I do? How is she summoned?’ Lexington demanded.

‘Just have faith, she will come to you in time’ Malia said with reassurance as she blissfully skipped away from the Marine Sergeant and back towards the village.

Lexington entered the shattered mausoleum, it’s roof had entirely caved in revealing the blue sky above him. Vines, moss and ivy grew throughout the bare stone structure, obscuring the various ornate carvings etched into the crypt’s walls. Birds and animals darted quickly through the vegetation, looking for a quick snack of insects and grubs. At the centre of the burial site was a rectangular stone structure with a life size carving of a tall woman in armour placed upon it. This must be the sarcophagus of Saint Augustine, Lexington quickly concluded.

He had killed a fellow Marine, engaged on a personal quest and travelled through the Warp to get to this place and he was tired of waiting.

‘Saint Augustine, show yourself to me!’ bellowed Lexington angrily, concentrating his embittered cry towards the sarcophagus, his voice and canter forcing many of the animals and birds in the tomb to flee fearfully.

Seconds past, nothing happened. Lexington breathed out slowly, a mixture of relief and disappointment. Had this journey been in vain? Were his dreams just that and nothing more? Why had Ward spoken the name Verity in his last dying breath if it had had no importance?

Before Lexington could travel down this trail of thought any longer, a mystical light started to drift slowly upwards from within the sarcophagus.

Part 5 to follow


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## juddski (Nov 3, 2008)

excellent ,i really like how this is turning out Unknown Soldier:victory:


*verity*


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