A different kind of Knight

Chapter 11

"B-But, you said you can't breathe?" She softly stutters her thoughts out loud while looking at me with horror on her face as if I came back from the dead right in front of her. Being hit with the realization that I died only for me to come back must've surprised her. This is the prime moment for me to regain her trust! Time for me to enact and I shall regain her! "I took a risk. One that I wasn't sure if I would be able to live after doing so." She responds with only one word. "Why?" The situation is a very sensitive one and the wrong actions might even turn her into my enemy; I do not wish for that to happen! "Its to show... That... I am sorry for hurting you and that... I am... More than willing to die for you." The last four words were a whisper compared to the rest of the sentence. My da would be proud to see that his son is more than willing to risk his life for those in need, but the majority of the Imperium: would much rather see her dead. She hugged me tightly for a few more moments, her hands shifted onto my shoulders. Her grip is tight. Then she pulled me close. Tightly hugging me, before breaking the embrace by shoving me hard to the adamantium carapace which was rather unexpected since she showed me compassion not too long after. "Ompf!" An involuntary noise was squeezed out of me as my ribcage met the artisanal armorpiece. *THWACK!* I was rubbing the sore spot where metal met flesh as I winced from the painful massage. Ow. A blur of yellow fur flew at me as I slightly opened my eyes in time to see the appendage a millisecond before impact. Unfortunately, there are no fancy evasive maneuvers taught to me by my long-dead-mentors that are capable of allowing me to dodge it in time. *PLAP!* The furred palm of her left hand met my right cheek. Ouch. "That's for making me feel sad and... A-Angry! But it was nice to know that you're willing to give up that much for me, thank you." Alice said it to me after that moment of fury from her. I paid no mind to the pain of the sore right cheek as I straightened my back and stood proudly. Inhale. "We are the adversary of cruelty! The figure of empathy! HOUSE PHAERON! At the ready!" *STOMP!* It feels nice to recite the motto that was drilled into the minds of all Knight Pilots of my family once again as I finish it with a hard right foot stomp. Alice looks at me with smirk forming at the corners of her feline mouth, her lips parted slightly revealing a small glimpse of her
inhumane, sharp, pointy, cat-like teeth. It does not disturb me in the slightest and besides, I've seen far worse. "HOooo." All the remaining air in my lungs was expunged as the proud display was exchanged for a much more relaxed one. *Fwip!* A foot there and here; my legs executed an about face. It was sloppily done since I didn't endure guardsmen or infantry training. I slowly walked towards the open hatch. My left hand slowly caressed one of the barrels of the Icarus automated air-defense turret. I leaned in and whispered to it. "We did it, Chaosbane. We finally found a comrade in this world. We are not alone anymore." Nothing happens as the Knight continues to sway side-to-side slowly as black smoke belches from the four exhausts placed in the rear. *Sigh.* I dropped myself down the hatch, plugged and buckled everything needed along with returning the haphazardly thrown respirator. Then I pondered to myself. Just what do I have to do for you to forgive me? I endured so many sleepless nights as I fought for days without sleeping just to earn enough to mend the damages done to you. I endured serving under disgusting xenos just to earn the resources needed for you. I scavenged corpses and wrecks of other Imperial Knights knowing full well how dishonourable it is to pillage the tombs of long dead or sometimes, recently slain Knights. I even fought and killed for entertainment for rich Imperials. Don't you know how much I have suffered for you? I know you can read my thoughts. It has been 8 years and you still won't even give me a whisper? How many times must I say: It wasn't my fault. It. Wasn't. My. Fault. No reply came from the damned machine-spirit of this damnable mech. IT WASN'T MY FAULT. IT WASN'T MY FAULT! Tears began to streak down from my cheeks as I began to pound onto the plasteel walls with rage and fury from being blamed, shunned, humiliated, for actions that weren't mine. "WHY DO YOU STILL HATE ME!" I threw a punch towards the metal interior. No answer, It only obediently obeys my commands without failure. My hands retracts to me as I then buckled from the realization of what I've done. "Please. Talk. I'm sorry." I whispered but none answered. Atleast the cave isn't that far anymore since I can already see it through the Magnified lens of the Knight's eyes. "We should've died along with them!" The machine-spirit of Chaosbane faintly whispers to me it's last words from an involuntary flashback of that day where we became the last descendants of our Noble House in less than two hours. Those were the last words of the Machine-spirit of Chaosbane before it took on a wordless vow of silence all those years ago.
...
"Luke! We're here!" I stand before the gaping large maw of the cave that Alice directed us to. She said she knows a friend who resides here but I do not sense an aura of friendliness but of danger, and hostility. The mouth of cave seems big enough to even dwarf Titans yet no light seems to go past the darkness emanating from it. The unnatural darkness consumes the sunlight like a starving predator. A presence of a daemon. It's there, somewhere.