Dark Apostle

'My lord, we have secured the area and I have inspected the outside of the structure. There appears to be no entrances to its interior.'

'The door shall be opened to him of pure faith,' said Jarulek, a knowing smile on his face.

'Yes, my lord,' said the Coryphaus, bowing his head to Jarulek's proclamation. 'Our auspexes and sensors are unable to scan within. It gives off nothing, my lord.'

'And what of that?' asked Jarulek, pointing towards the black smoke rising in the distance that marked where the airship of the Mechanicus had gone down. 'Did you ensure it was destroyed?'

'I did, my lord. There was a survivor from the crash. I brought it back alive, for I thought it would interest you.'

'Master of the cog will come in chains and tattered robes, to become Enslaved,' quoted Jarulek, a smile upon his script covered, pale face. 'And so, the prophecy comes to fruition.'

Jarulek strode forwards, raising his cursed crozius arcanum high into the air as he neared the base of the black, flawless structure. Not a mark could be seen upon the pyramid's slick surface, not a crack or a join - it was as if the whole structure had been carved from one gigantic piece of some midnight, glossy mineral.

As he neared it, a green light began to glow, dimly at first and then more fiercely The light coalesced into strange symbols running vertically down the surface in front of the Dark Apostle, hieroglyphs the likes of which Marduk had never seen before. It appeared to be a form of early picture writing, consisting of circles and lines, but it was utterly alien in design.

The green light grew in intensity until the glare spilling from the strange glyphs was almost blinding. More light began to appear upon the surface of the pyramid and Marduk clenched his hand around the grip of his daemon-blade, feeling the reassuring connection as the barbs of the grip pierced his armour and flesh.

A circular symbol appeared, and lines that could have been representations of sunbeams spread from its circumference. Without a sound, the circle sank into the black surface of the stone and the panels created by the ''sunbeams'' slid to the side, revealing a dark entranceway within the structure, almost five metres in height. Air was sucked into the open gateway, as if the inside of the structure was a vacuum, and icy coldness exuded from within.

The Anointed moved up protectively around the Dark Apostle, combi-bolters and heavy weapons swinging towards the open gateway.

Jarulek turned towards Marduk, a smile upon his lips.

'Come, my First Acolyte. Our destinies await us.'

Allowing a dozen members of the Anointed to take the lead, Marduk and Jarulek entered the ancient, alien pyramid.

A searing pain flared on Marduk's head beneath his helmet as he crossed the boundary into the pyramid, and he dropped to one knee, eyes tightly shut. It felt like someone had pressed a red-hot brand against the flesh of his forehead.

'What is wrong with you?' snapped Jarulek.

Marduk concentrated hard, mouthing the scriptures of Lorgar to shut off the burning pain, and pushed himself back to his feet.

It felt as though his skin was being melted away from the bone and he gritted his sharp teeth as he mouthed the sacred words.

He knew what the feeling was - it had been described to him - and he had read of it in countless accounts of Dark Apostles.

Jarulek's words came back to him.

Have you had any holy scriptures appear on your flesh yet?

He pushed the pain deep within him, feeling a surge of pride. He could still feel the searing pain, but it would not dominate him. He rose to his feet.

'Nothing, Dark Apostle,' he said, and the Word Bearers pressed on into the alien pyramid.

'There is nothing here,' said Kol Badar. They had been walking through the darkness for what seemed like hours, passing through endless, smooth corridors flanked by columns of obsidian, descending deeper into the stygian blackness. They must have been far beneath the ground, thought Marduk. How large a structure was this unearthly, black pyramid?

'That which I seek is here,' said the Dark Apostle. 'I have seen this place in my dream visions.'

Marduk could sense something, but what it was he didn't know. His skin prickled with vague unease. He ran his hand along the smooth, black stone, feeling the icy chill within.

The corridor was wide enough for four Terminators to walk side by side, and the Dark Apostle was flanked by warriors who formed a shield of ablative armour around him. They had passed dozens of other corridors and passages that bisected their own, but Jarulek had never once paused to consider the way forward. He strode onwards, his head held high, as if he had been here before.

'This place is ancient,' said Marduk. 'What manner of xenos created this structure?'

'Creatures long dead,' said Kol Badar, his deep voice ringing out from the speakers concealed beneath the quad-tusks of his helmet.