Post by Kage2020 on Apr 3, 2005 21:44:51 GMT -5
Follow on, kind of, to Metarune I. Same caveats there as here...
He stood, impossibly poised on one foot, gravity somehow failing to assert itself on his delicate form. Sweat rolled over his features as he raised his arms, fingers curled as if around the haft of a power sword. Around the sandy floor of the training arena a handful of women watched silently onwards, their poses tense with an almost palpable feeling of anticipation. The only motion was the slight rise and fall of his chest.
The tension built until, with a quick step forward, he threw himself into a series of somersaults, hands stabbing the imaginary weapon downwards in perfect synchronisation with his movements. Then it was over, and he was crouched on his haunches, one leg extended, left arm straight and parallel to the floor, fingers rigid.
The audience murmurred with appreciation, though all but one quickly dispersed back to their own. Walking up to the centre of the training floor, she clapped her hands. "That was wonderful Tashir. I have never seen such a showing of the thoron-pomsae in my time at this Shrine."
Tashir looked at Carielen his gaze measured as he weighed up her comment. She did not appear to be over-exaggerating, nor was she taken to it, but she was amongst the oldest of the Banshee. It was even rumoured that that she would soon leave the Path and don one of the few exarch suits, dedicating herself to the Shrine and become one of the er tel'vesta.
"Thank you honoured one," Tashir replied, bowing his head in respect. "I am glad that my practise was deemed worthy of such a compliment."
"It is not a compliment when it is fact, Tashir."
He nodded, then inclined his head. "The form seems to suit me."
"As do many of the others, it would appear. I once resisted your entrance to this Shrine. While each of the Bloody Handed Aspects are open to everyone who would walk the Warrior's Path, our Shrine has long been one traditionally associated only with women. Indeed, the Bonesingers were asked to weave armour specific to you."
They moved away from the training field, to the bathing facilities, continuing their discussion as the walked into the Shrine's bathing facilities. The designers and gardeners had done their up-most to ensure that the area was relaxing to mind, body and spirit. From the small heated pools designed for privacy, or the larger pools that were usually only used after battle.
"My choice caused some consternation within my clan. They deemed my choice to be inappropriate also. I believe it was even discussed by our clan leaders! The Avengers were the most favoured suggestion for an Aspect suitable for someone of my obvious physiological problems," his hands sweeping apart indicating is lithe, but very male, physique. "If kwaen was the Way that I wished to follow, then perhaps the Scorpions would have been the better choice to make. They could not see that my essence did not fit into those containers; that they could offer me no growth."
Carielen laughed. "It would seem the answer to that particular dilemma is easy: men!"
"If only that were true," Tashir sighed in reply. "Our current Council representative was once a member of this Shrine before she was drawn to the outer universe of the breeders. I believe that her travels, while better preparing her to serve upon the Clan Council, also went some way to fixing it in her mind as the 'ideal' Shrine, and that did not include me. It is interesting, if somewhat frightening, how quickly the People fall into tradition to determine what is right and wrong."
"That is the way of things. The Path exists to guide each of the People through their own development..."
"But it does not exist to limit, honoured one. It guides our development only. Each individual can make their own choice, bring their own interpretation. Otherwise we would become as thick-skinned as the breeders, especially the orcaith."
This time it was Carielen's time to sigh. "I think you sometimes dwell upon these matters too much Tashir. Perhaps you should change your secondary Path? You seem to tend towards solitary abstraction rather than interacting with others. Philosophy is not just about metaphysics, but about life and its interaction."
"True. But that is not my thesis at the moment."
"Then perhaps science would be the best for you. Maybe you would be able to find answers rather than just questions?"
Without saying anything, Tashir rose from the water moving towards the warm-air cycler to dry. "Philosophy is not the search necessarily for answers. It is the search for truths and concepts. How you discover it is just as important as the discovery itself for, in so doing, you learn individual truth-experiences."
Again she laughed. "So dour. There is little that this old mind can do to sway yours. My body aches in sympathy with my brain, feeling that I have just fought alone against an entire squad of those genetically-engineered automatons of the Imperium!"
Carielen winced theatrically as she pulled herself out of the warm waters, limping over to join Tashir on the drying bench.
"In that case, I shall stop such a duel and offer my apologies honoured one."
"We are no longer on the training ground and, unless you intend to attack the trees and plants with bathing oils and your own nudity, we are not on the battlefield. Perhaps you would begin to call me Carielen."
"Perhaps. It is difficult to disassociate myself from thoughts of the Shrine when the Bloody Handed awakens."
Looking up sharply, her voice was calm but her words were slow and deliberate. "That is something that you should be careful of. The lure of the Shrine is strong. I above all those not sworn to Her know this. Let the n'at amin guide you in this, or that is why we spend so much time creating it when we are children. I understand that it is rumoured that I shall Swear myself. This is not true, and it is for just this reason." Pausing as her face visibly relaxes, she continues. "Perhaps I should become a philosopher. These turnings spent on this Path seem to have dulled my senses, for I cannot argue the validity of our Peoples' philosophy to you!"
"Then perhaps life should re-establish itself..." replied Tashir, a sly smile on his lips as he moved towards Carielen
"I knew that there was a reason that I sponsored your entry to the Shrine," she replied, a responsive smile on her face as she moved towards Tashir...
* * * * * * * * *
"The Bloody Handed One awakens slowly," said Carielen, pacing in front of the briefing room, "and it is estimated that another three yen will pass before He awakens. The Farseers have cast their runes and revealed a threat to Ailech."
Tashir watched as Carielen gestured towards the virtual display, "The planet imaged here is Alathorienar, which the breeders call Algorex-Three. It is one of the many worlds that the People seeded before the Fall, though before this time it was not deemed to be important. The 'humans'," her voice slipping into disgust, "maintain a small research facility on one of the larger of the islands in the northern hemisphere. The Seers were not able to discern the nature of the research, and this has patterned our response to the Seer and Clan Council's orders. A small, but not insignificant, force has been selected from amongst the various Shrines. We are to provide three squads , one of which will act as a bodyguard to the Bonesinger and the others to act in concert with the rest of the force. The squad with the Bonesinger will be performing their duties in parallel with the Avengers. We are to prevent the breeders learning of our presence but, if they do, hold them until the Bonesinger has finished. Until he has finished we will be unable to summon reinforcement through the Webway without disrupting the patterning. That is something that cannot be allowed."
As Carielen talked the virtual display changed in response to her words, the images a combination of ancient sensor readings and psychosensory visions produced by the Farseers. "Clairsentient imaging provides a strong image of the patterning area, a riverine island. As you can see, the surrounding area is primarily closed arboreal, hence the strong contribution of our Shrine and, indeed, that of the Scorpions. The breeder facility lies five thousand units to the north, located on a plateau rising several hundred metres from the forest."
Tashir watched carefully, his mind taking in the topography, noting potential defensive areas and 'sally ports'. It was considered to be one of his flaws, this over-analytical approach, even somewhat alien to the Peoples' life philosophy.
"Is their a portal located on the planet?" one of the Banshee to one side asked. Try as he might, he could not place her name. Not only was she in a different training squad but she had the look of a new addition to the Shrine; Tashir had spent a great deal of his time in recent turnings training alone, focused on his studies at the exclusion of the life around him.
"Unfortunately not. The Seers have located a resonant point in the thickspace within one hundred planetary diameters. We will be taking a stealthed and shielded shuttle through the Web to that point and from there to the planet. It is unlikely that any of their breeders' equipment will be able to detect us. Furthermore, the Bonesinger will be accompanied by a Seer of not inconsiderable ability who will be able to further shield us, so it is even less likely that their blunt-minded psykers will detect the shuttle or our individual noetic signatures," replied Carielen.
He stood, impossibly poised on one foot, gravity somehow failing to assert itself on his delicate form. Sweat rolled over his features as he raised his arms, fingers curled as if around the haft of a power sword. Around the sandy floor of the training arena a handful of women watched silently onwards, their poses tense with an almost palpable feeling of anticipation. The only motion was the slight rise and fall of his chest.
The tension built until, with a quick step forward, he threw himself into a series of somersaults, hands stabbing the imaginary weapon downwards in perfect synchronisation with his movements. Then it was over, and he was crouched on his haunches, one leg extended, left arm straight and parallel to the floor, fingers rigid.
The audience murmurred with appreciation, though all but one quickly dispersed back to their own. Walking up to the centre of the training floor, she clapped her hands. "That was wonderful Tashir. I have never seen such a showing of the thoron-pomsae in my time at this Shrine."
Tashir looked at Carielen his gaze measured as he weighed up her comment. She did not appear to be over-exaggerating, nor was she taken to it, but she was amongst the oldest of the Banshee. It was even rumoured that that she would soon leave the Path and don one of the few exarch suits, dedicating herself to the Shrine and become one of the er tel'vesta.
"Thank you honoured one," Tashir replied, bowing his head in respect. "I am glad that my practise was deemed worthy of such a compliment."
"It is not a compliment when it is fact, Tashir."
He nodded, then inclined his head. "The form seems to suit me."
"As do many of the others, it would appear. I once resisted your entrance to this Shrine. While each of the Bloody Handed Aspects are open to everyone who would walk the Warrior's Path, our Shrine has long been one traditionally associated only with women. Indeed, the Bonesingers were asked to weave armour specific to you."
They moved away from the training field, to the bathing facilities, continuing their discussion as the walked into the Shrine's bathing facilities. The designers and gardeners had done their up-most to ensure that the area was relaxing to mind, body and spirit. From the small heated pools designed for privacy, or the larger pools that were usually only used after battle.
"My choice caused some consternation within my clan. They deemed my choice to be inappropriate also. I believe it was even discussed by our clan leaders! The Avengers were the most favoured suggestion for an Aspect suitable for someone of my obvious physiological problems," his hands sweeping apart indicating is lithe, but very male, physique. "If kwaen was the Way that I wished to follow, then perhaps the Scorpions would have been the better choice to make. They could not see that my essence did not fit into those containers; that they could offer me no growth."
Carielen laughed. "It would seem the answer to that particular dilemma is easy: men!"
"If only that were true," Tashir sighed in reply. "Our current Council representative was once a member of this Shrine before she was drawn to the outer universe of the breeders. I believe that her travels, while better preparing her to serve upon the Clan Council, also went some way to fixing it in her mind as the 'ideal' Shrine, and that did not include me. It is interesting, if somewhat frightening, how quickly the People fall into tradition to determine what is right and wrong."
"That is the way of things. The Path exists to guide each of the People through their own development..."
"But it does not exist to limit, honoured one. It guides our development only. Each individual can make their own choice, bring their own interpretation. Otherwise we would become as thick-skinned as the breeders, especially the orcaith."
This time it was Carielen's time to sigh. "I think you sometimes dwell upon these matters too much Tashir. Perhaps you should change your secondary Path? You seem to tend towards solitary abstraction rather than interacting with others. Philosophy is not just about metaphysics, but about life and its interaction."
"True. But that is not my thesis at the moment."
"Then perhaps science would be the best for you. Maybe you would be able to find answers rather than just questions?"
Without saying anything, Tashir rose from the water moving towards the warm-air cycler to dry. "Philosophy is not the search necessarily for answers. It is the search for truths and concepts. How you discover it is just as important as the discovery itself for, in so doing, you learn individual truth-experiences."
Again she laughed. "So dour. There is little that this old mind can do to sway yours. My body aches in sympathy with my brain, feeling that I have just fought alone against an entire squad of those genetically-engineered automatons of the Imperium!"
Carielen winced theatrically as she pulled herself out of the warm waters, limping over to join Tashir on the drying bench.
"In that case, I shall stop such a duel and offer my apologies honoured one."
"We are no longer on the training ground and, unless you intend to attack the trees and plants with bathing oils and your own nudity, we are not on the battlefield. Perhaps you would begin to call me Carielen."
"Perhaps. It is difficult to disassociate myself from thoughts of the Shrine when the Bloody Handed awakens."
Looking up sharply, her voice was calm but her words were slow and deliberate. "That is something that you should be careful of. The lure of the Shrine is strong. I above all those not sworn to Her know this. Let the n'at amin guide you in this, or that is why we spend so much time creating it when we are children. I understand that it is rumoured that I shall Swear myself. This is not true, and it is for just this reason." Pausing as her face visibly relaxes, she continues. "Perhaps I should become a philosopher. These turnings spent on this Path seem to have dulled my senses, for I cannot argue the validity of our Peoples' philosophy to you!"
"Then perhaps life should re-establish itself..." replied Tashir, a sly smile on his lips as he moved towards Carielen
"I knew that there was a reason that I sponsored your entry to the Shrine," she replied, a responsive smile on her face as she moved towards Tashir...
* * * * * * * * *
"The Bloody Handed One awakens slowly," said Carielen, pacing in front of the briefing room, "and it is estimated that another three yen will pass before He awakens. The Farseers have cast their runes and revealed a threat to Ailech."
Tashir watched as Carielen gestured towards the virtual display, "The planet imaged here is Alathorienar, which the breeders call Algorex-Three. It is one of the many worlds that the People seeded before the Fall, though before this time it was not deemed to be important. The 'humans'," her voice slipping into disgust, "maintain a small research facility on one of the larger of the islands in the northern hemisphere. The Seers were not able to discern the nature of the research, and this has patterned our response to the Seer and Clan Council's orders. A small, but not insignificant, force has been selected from amongst the various Shrines. We are to provide three squads , one of which will act as a bodyguard to the Bonesinger and the others to act in concert with the rest of the force. The squad with the Bonesinger will be performing their duties in parallel with the Avengers. We are to prevent the breeders learning of our presence but, if they do, hold them until the Bonesinger has finished. Until he has finished we will be unable to summon reinforcement through the Webway without disrupting the patterning. That is something that cannot be allowed."
As Carielen talked the virtual display changed in response to her words, the images a combination of ancient sensor readings and psychosensory visions produced by the Farseers. "Clairsentient imaging provides a strong image of the patterning area, a riverine island. As you can see, the surrounding area is primarily closed arboreal, hence the strong contribution of our Shrine and, indeed, that of the Scorpions. The breeder facility lies five thousand units to the north, located on a plateau rising several hundred metres from the forest."
Tashir watched carefully, his mind taking in the topography, noting potential defensive areas and 'sally ports'. It was considered to be one of his flaws, this over-analytical approach, even somewhat alien to the Peoples' life philosophy.
"Is their a portal located on the planet?" one of the Banshee to one side asked. Try as he might, he could not place her name. Not only was she in a different training squad but she had the look of a new addition to the Shrine; Tashir had spent a great deal of his time in recent turnings training alone, focused on his studies at the exclusion of the life around him.
"Unfortunately not. The Seers have located a resonant point in the thickspace within one hundred planetary diameters. We will be taking a stealthed and shielded shuttle through the Web to that point and from there to the planet. It is unlikely that any of their breeders' equipment will be able to detect us. Furthermore, the Bonesinger will be accompanied by a Seer of not inconsiderable ability who will be able to further shield us, so it is even less likely that their blunt-minded psykers will detect the shuttle or our individual noetic signatures," replied Carielen.