Jaune of the imperium 2: guardian, hunter, shadow.

chapter 2: we are off

thought of the day: It's important not to lose sight of what drives us: Love, justice, reverence...
-unknown

location: Anima region

pov Ruby

we were walking towards the next village when i heard humming when i turned to its source i could see Kaz as hummed a sort of song.

Ruby: what's that song your humming Kaz?

Kaz: song of. Isengard.

i looked at him with a questioning look but before i could ask him anything else Ojama responded.

Ojama: a song about the siege of a giant fortress that his people besieged and brought down for the imperium. even becoming the pride of his people.

Ruby: so it just a siege? that doesn't sound like much what i heard of Jaune and his team.

Ojama: from the few things i could gather was that it was a hive designed to be a fortress, city and maze all in one. it was so hard to crack that even siege masters of Krieg and Astartes couldn't break it till his people did.

Ruby: how long ago was that?

Kaz seemed to stop before striking a thinking pose that seemed comical before speaking.

Kaz: 80. maybe 100.

Ruby: what?

Ojama: generations. 80 to 100 generations ago.

Jane: why hum a song about a siege now.

Ojama: his people enjoy the song, it raises morale for them. ah, good times.

flashback

Ojama pov

we were marching in a large collum towards a hive city under enemy control and would be charging it as soon as we were close enough. my squad was close to the front when i heard the warlord the highest-ranking beastman under the lord commissar yell

warlord: boom! ham! here we come with a boom! here we come at last! join the moot! we are off! we are off! to Isengard!

beastmen: to Isengard!

drums started drumming the song along with warhorns as we marched to the hive.

beastmen: We come, we come with roll of drum
Ta-runda runda runda rom!
We come, we come with horn and drum
Ta-runa runa runa rom!

we stopped as the troops started beating their weapons together to the rhythm of the drums while the regiment got in position for the charge.

Beastman: To Isengard! Though Isengard be ringed
And barred with doors of stone;
Though Isengard be strong and hard,
As cold as stone and bare as bone,

the artillery pieces we carried were prepared. they were just some cannons that would look better on some feudal world or in a museum than on the battlefield.

Beastmen: We go, we go, we go to war,
To hew the stone and break the door;
For bole and bough are burning now,

the few tanks we had started letting their engines roar.

beastmen: The furnace roars - we go to war!

our regiment started marching towards the hive while cannons both ours and the enemies opened fire.

Beastmen: To land of gloom with tramp of doom,
With roll of drum, we come, we come;
To Isengard with doom we come!
With doom we come, with doom we come!

the last warhorn sounded and our regiment went from a marching pace to the hive to a full out sprint.

flashback end

ruby pov

it seemed like Ojama was remembering something while we continued walking.

ruby: how long till we get to the next village?

Jane: we should be close.

we suddenly heard an explosion coming from the village so we broke out to a sprint. when we came to the village we could see a large man in armour defending an injured huntsman from Grimm. the first Grimm jumped only to be met by a large iron totem to the face.

Onac: show me what goes for furry among your misbegotten kind!

as if understanding the challenge three Grimm went to attack one jumping at him while the other two tried to get around. Onac aimed his pistol to the one jumping only for a bright light to be unleashed from it vaporising the Grimm, followed by two swift strikes each killing one of the flanking Grimm. he turned to us before he spoke again.

Onac: ah children, Astarte. good to see you.

a cough caught our attention and Onac went towards the injured huntsman i now noticed that on his mostly silver and grey armour he also had a two-headed eagle on it as Jaunes team carried. as we got closer we could hear the huntsman speak.

Huntsman: emperor, master of mankind, i ask forgiveness. emperor whos might wear down stone to sand. 

he started coughing out blood while Onac continued and most of team SHOK claspt their hands in prayer.

Onac: Emperor, wash the sins from this one and set him into your halls. emperor, this one's heart is pure but beset by wickedness and contention. guide this one to where the traveller never tires, the hungry never starve, where all warriors return, where all storms become still. where all stars show the path. guide this one emperor and he will be a companion to you as he was to me.

Onac closed the eyes of the huntsman before lying his body flat, looking towards the sky.

Rachmiel: what happend cousin?

Onac: we are not cousins Astarte. but as to what happened, bandits happened they came in force one had powers i that would compare to me and my chapter wich laid ruin to the village after that Grimm swarmed us in mass.

Jane: the villagers.

Onac: dead either by the bandits or the Grimm.

Ruby: would you join us on our way to Mistral?

Onac: i will join you for now.

timeskip

???: Jane.

Ruby: ah

i woke up when i heard someone call Janes name. when i looked around i could see everyone sleeping but i didn't see Onac, Rachmiel or Jane. i heard a voice that sounded like Pyrrha

Pyrrha?: alright Jane, just like we practised. follow these instructions...  

i walked to where it came from to see Onac and Rachmiel watching somthing, as i could get closer i heard them talking.

Rachmiel: do you think will see the imperium again?

Onac: yes the emperor will not forget those loyal to him, he will send someone.

Rachmiel: then what do you think of the idea that this is another version of that commander's homeworld? i find it a ridiculous idea and think that he is just delusional

Onac gave a low and quiet growl 

Onac: Jaune is loyal to imperium, he has proven himself time and time again, and was offered to become a companion but turned down the honour since he could do more good as a commander. i and many of my chapter have read his mind and checked his purity many times, i would consider him more a kinsmen than any other Astartes chapter. i would trust him and he would trust me. so as a warning if you are going to drag his name through the mud then do it where i can't hear it.

Onac then left.