《Aegis》Chapter 33: Taking Stock

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Your one working eye fixes on Chief Medicae Berach, "status report doc?"

Berach pushes his horn-rimmed glasses back up his hooked nose, "well, you could be worse. Contusions and bruises are healing up nicely, swelling is down and your new augmetic eye is knitting in nicely. Lord Pyrus has already declared you clean of mutation, though he does want to examine your for corruption now that you are awake."

"Wait, new eye? What happened to my old one?"

Berach consults a clipboard, flipping through his notes, "short version? Torn to shreds by blast-launched shrapnel. I'm surprised you still have a head that's working as it should. I'll be taking the bandage off in a few days."

"And the others who went down to Vrenna?"

Berach hooks the clipboard over the end of the bed and pulls a dataslate out of a pocket, "Lady Saurlance has already returned to duty, despite a bruised collarbone. Lord Saurlance is still on limited duty due to a cracked rib. I expect both of them to make a full recovery, given time. Of the armsmen, I had to identify four of them by dental records. The fifth, a mr. Adam Mantium, is still getting used to his new augmetics. Of the Space Marines, all of them came off relatively unscathed. Lord Rubicon picked up a new scar or three, Lord Direwolf is having his augmetics repaired, and Lord Pyrus is assisting Master Echo in doing so. All survivors have been confirmed clean of fresh mutations and corruption, pending your interview with Lord Pyrus. I'll inform him that you are awake now." With that, he bustles out of the room, his white smock swirling about his legs.

You lay back on the bed and try to piece you thoughts together. Obviously, you need to tell Lord Pyrus about what the polearm-xeno said. Next step would be getting him back to the Mavros and getting back to regular business. But something tells you that these last few days, the ones that you can remember at least, are going to have consequences further down the road. Sure, you have an Inquisition contact, but he or she probably has you marked down as an asset. You refocus your thoughts as Lord Pyrus comes limping through the doorway. He is dressed in a slightly grimy work robe reminiscent of the ones Jace wares on a regular basis, and you notice him grimace as he sits down heavily on the end of the bed. He stares at you for a long, searching moment before speaking, "So you finally woke up."

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"Yes. I'm assuming that you are here to make sure I'm not a loose end then?"

"I've no fear of that. If I did, you would never have woken up. I know that the Farseer said something to you. I saw her turn back to you before boarding her shuttle, but my helmet was too badly damaged to make out what she said."

You sigh with relief, "she spoke a bit before you woke up. Most of it is slangspeach to me, but I guess psykers speak their own language the rest of us just don't get. What she said, word for word, is 'When you wake again, I and my kind will have departed. I would congratulate you Wanderer, for standing against the Beings That Should Not Be, and living to tell of it. Accordingly, the strands of fate have shifted, false paths falling away. We may yet meet again as friends on earth crimson.' At that point, she turned to leave, paused, and said 'Tell the Flamebringer that the oath he swore on the Bleeding Shard is fulfilled. He will know what it means.' I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that you are the one she called Flamebringer?"

Pyrus nods, clearly picking his words with care, "The Farseer was talking about events that may yet come to pass, and old history that has no bearing on the present any longer. I hope. Once you have recovered, it is time to head back to the Mavros. I have reports of my own to file, and you undoubtedly need to get back to your trade. Between the aid you offered back in Procyon, and your actions on Vrenna, it is safe to say that you are on the Ordo Xenos' list of assets. Accordingly, our paths may cross again. I hope my and Mr. Echo’s work on your eye will serve you well."

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He gets up to leave, and you lay back in bed once more. Two or three days from now, the Aegis will be headed back to Viking, and from there onward to more opportunities and more risks. You get the feeling of having stepped into the deep end of the pool as you contemplate your future plans.

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