Chapter 27:

Chapter 27: Lessons of life are hard to come by.


The city of 'The third Shatter Blade' continues its filial piety for another day as blades clash in preparation for the Grand Argument and decide if the path of the Eldar is to be decided by the Old Gods or the New Divine.

The city prepares the argument of the old gods that the Blades will sing their tunes and not that of the New God and that the New God is not worthy of the Eldar.

Today an unpious soul is mocked for his lack of piety by one of similar age to him.

"You dare mock the filial disciple of the Laughing Blade mongrel? I Bessar Agail will teach you a lesson your ancestors and descendants both will praise me for, for you have not only shamed me but you shamed my dead father The Silver Hand for I walk as he did and he killed as he lived!"

"This is a pious city, we do not need those who cannot wield a blade and need to rely on armor. Think the armor makes you able to speak for clothing speaks for a man, but all yours says is shame!" The young warrior said to the shameful one.

We are blades, all eldar are, and to make our arguments heard we must accept our nature and fight as blades, train and blades and live learning to be nothing but blades. To wear armor is to bring shame for you cannot speak without being a blade. He didn't and brings shame to his clan and parents for it.

"Ha, a mighty joke if I ever heard one disciple of Cegorach. I will send you to your master so that you may tell it to him as well, perhaps it will ease the mockeries and jeers I receive from him." Said the shameful one.

He wore plain wraithbone armor under his white robes, the only color on them being a dark blade on his chest that looked like a mocking smile.

"Finally! The only and last honorable thing you will do today! May you shame your family less in your next life! This Bir Gea, disciple of the Home of the Twin Swords and daughter of the Third Sword of Sunrise will help you with it." The young warrior woman said.

The street emptied as blades of all ages made room and some jumped on the Wraithbone roofs and walls to allow the two warriors to clash, not that I expect to take long.

We can cut Wraithbone with our blades, children learn to do so, armor offers no protection between blades, it only helps against beasts.

'This should be over quickly.' Many of us sang.

'Yes, the fool that started the insults will die in a hit, two if she is lucky and the one she insulted is feeling generous.' Came the song of a wizened old man.

'First cut' was a madman and looked over an Orphanage in service of the gods. An honorable profession but he is not a blade by trade.

We ignored him, we knew he was half crystal and half man and we will not shame someone that will die where they stood to serve the divine and give a home to children that had nobody else.

He earned that from this small city and more.

The two stood and a single whispered phrase sang to us in a voice that was far too familiar to me.

One one side stood a shameful man with gray eyes and black hair. His attire was an unpious armor and a white blouse and pants with the only color being the symbol of tradition he shamed, a smiling blade.

On the other side was a pious woman, her clothing of dark silk with floral patterns praising her ancestors as it framed her own dark hair and green eyes.

'You will die.' The whisper of Khaine promised and spooked the entire crowd.

Once it finished speaking he moved, the young warrior did not hit where she should from fear and the other warrior cut her head for it in a single strike.

He put his sword back into its sheath and moved from the scene. The maton already started preparing the funerary arrangements.

We stood amazed and turned to the song of the one man who was right.

'Holo-fields young fools, the armor only exists as an illusion, he's using it to honor his father who probably hunted beasts.' He sang.

We looked better at it and he was right, we could see minute flickers on it as he walked.

I could not let this opportunity to pass up, a Whisper of Khaine was heard and nobody died for it until after it finished speaking.

"One strike, one kill! One Sword, One Word! A marvelous victory young warrior. I am Caideam Caiir and I would like to ask a favor of you."

I spoke to the man as I tried to get him to stop. He stopped and regarded me before smiling, his grey eyes joyful to see a man giving them the respect he deserves.

"Finally someone worthy of respect, for they greet with the praise that I have earned! I am Bessar Agail, a pleasure to meet you my new friend." He greeted me with a laugh.

We clasped hands in respect as is proper. Once done I spoke.

"I thank you for being willing to hear me out, I would like to invite you to my home, one of my boys has just become an adult yesterday and is still looking for a master. I was hoping you could help him with mastering his blessing in the same way you do so that his song does not kill others."

"If you are willing to help me understand the local situation and how The Great Argument goes on this world I would be honored to take a second apprentice! My first one took only one year and two months to teach a part of my craft and the other it seems will learn to Sing with the voice of Khaine as I do. I myself have learned of Masks being able to do so and I have learned to do by myself! I would love nothing more than to find another apprentice to honor me and grant me my second mastery!" He spoke and sang without lie.

A master of a craft and he has experience with apprentices at only 60 years old?

'Truly the gods bless the valiant and those that seize the day!' I sang to myself

I also thanked the gods for their generosity, it would not do to be unpious.

"I am glad we could help each other as friends then Bessar Agail, come and let me introduce you to my family and your future apprentice if you'll have him, I'm sure you will love them."

"Lead the way friend, also that saying 'One Sword, One Word' it is one an older brother who I had never met used to say before he turned sister and died, do you know if it has some hidden meaning or if it is linked with what you said before it? He left our home before I was born and is dead now and I would dearly wish to know." He asked as we headed towards home.

"I am afraid it is a saying that came to mind after I saw your duel and how quickly it ended and added another phrase to the Great Argument, if it has any hidden wisdom I know not of it." I replied mournfully.

Losing a piece of the legacy of your family is painful and I know that for I have lost many myself.

"I see, thank you for indulging me then, I had read his well-wishes for me and I wish that I would have known him better, but she left me nephews to adore, give me headaches and to give a lesson or two to."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

To sing is the birthright of all eldar, for we are the singing swords of those who made us so.

I too have it but it is changed from most Eldar, for the only thing I could use it for was to kill for I was blessed to Whisper as Khaine and have my Song murder all or it will be me that it kills.

Most that are born with it die, as when they try to use it young and the only thing near them is themselves it kills them. My grandfather suspected it after both mother and grandmother had a blessing of Khaine and so he brought a terrarium of insects as I was born so that they die before me.

You can learn to defend yourself from it easily, just parry with your soul but if you wish to avoid killing the whisperer you need to block, otherwise the hit will turn on themselves and that's far more difficult to block and I'm still struggling with it.

I killed hundreds of insects in 50 heartbeats as I was held by my mother and my grandfather taught my family how to block the murderous intent of Khaine so that they could prevent me from killing myself when I sang.

My older sister is always near me now to ensure I am safe as a servant, for she does not know how to use a sword properly, her sword shape considered faulty compared to that of my family so they disinherited her and told her she can serve as servant or find herself a home that will take her and they will help her in this endeavor,

My sister, who I insist to still call as such despite her situation, helps me be able to sing for short periods of time before she is too wounded from the strength of it and I insist to sing as little as possible due to it. She loves and cares for me, I do not wish to harm her but to be an Eldar you need to sing and not kill all near you so I do so very rarely and in short bursts.

'Brother, your father found you a master to help you sing without my help.' My sister sang to me.

I stopped training and put my sword back in my sheath.

"You speak truly sister?" I spoke with joy.

I will no longer have to harm my sister to sing. This day started well and will probably end even better.

"Yes!" She said matching my own joy.

I had just turned fifty and thus am now an adult, father has told me he will find a master to teach me the blade and to forge an alliance and friendship with, but it seems he found one almost as important first.

Learning the blade under a master can wait, I already do so with my family and by myself, I have nobody else to teach me not to harm my sister as I sing and that's more urgent.

I washed myself with my gift quickly and dressed in my red robes with the symbol of our family, the black fist emblazoned on the left shoulder, it would not do to look anything but my best.

"Thank you sister." I said as my sister insisted to help me.

She always wants to dress me up and I indulge her in my breaks from training.

"No problem young master!"

"Sister, you know you can call me brother or by my name, Lanniae Narainn. I don't care what my parent's words are on this matter, you suffered more than enough for me to call me such."

"You know that is inappropriate for someone who cannot wield a sword." She replied exasperated.

I keep telling her its alright at least in private but she keeps insisting and has been insisting for as long as I can remember.

"When I have my own home and marry, you will come with me and you won't be able to complain when I dress you up and insist I call you sister. Let's see how you like it then when I call it inappropriate to call me master." I said with a smirk.

Father renounced her as his daughter but did not forsake her after he spent 100 years trying to find a blade that works for her and failed for he still loves her. He instead offered her two options, she would leave our home and receive help from us to find a loving husband we can trick into marrying her, but she can't come back, or she can stay in our home and be a servant. We cannot have in our house someone that can't swing a sword.

She chose to stay, but I would have wished that she would get married, I would see her less but she wouldn't have to take orders from family and she'd have a home for herself, not merely just a room.

I prepared to get ready when my mother sang to me.

'My son, your father comes with a master for your gift, but he is dressed with a holo-field that makes it look like he wears armor, you will not comment on it.'

I nodded at that and trusted sister sent it to mother. I am not one to question fashion statements and while making it look as if its armor is strange, I'm sure father wouldn't send me to a dishonorable and unpious master.

We walked through the wooden and Wraithbone hallways to the courtyard where my master is talking with my parents.

I approached the courtyard and hear the voices.

"Yes I'm telling you this is true my friend, the craftworlder did shoot what everyone claims is a Mask of Khaine, she shot it with plasma and the madman used it to turn it into a glowing smile and started to sing. This has been told throughout the middle and outer worlds of the Empire of Ten Million Stars!"

"I thought it was some rumor Bessar, something whispered by farseers and doomsayers!"

"They say that too, but the madmen of Khaine have started to sing using the voices of their victims to speak for them where they kill somebody and mutilate the soul before it reaches the gods to sing. By doing this they allow others to hear it and feel fear before they are cut and that's singing too, so I decided to make something similar because if they can then I can do better! Ah I see my future apprentice has arrived."

My future Master said.

I bowed with my hands at my sides.

"This Lanniar Narainn greets the mighty swordsman and possible future master."

I remained bowing for 7 heartbeats before my master spoke.

"You've raised a respectful young man my friend, rise Lanniar Nariann and please sing to me, I need to know what I'm dealing with, and do not worry that you would harm me as I have experience with strange blessings and your father came to me for help because we share one."

I rose and looked at him. We shared the same dark hair those blessed to be Whispers of Khaine have which stood in contrast with the blonde hair of my family, but his features were softer than those of this world and his eyes were grey. I have never seen an individual with colors other than blue and green and my own and my family's were blue.

'Yes master.' I whispered at master.

It went directly to him but it was absorbed as if the intent to Murder him meant nothing.

'Interesting young man, your blessing is stronger than mine, but I have four of them, and yet you have not used it to Murder. No eldar has died by your blade yet. I commend you for your self-restraint but your blessing and your control over it increases with death. No matter, I can work with this and as you are a blank slate I do not need to deal with bad habits.'

My master did not whisper, he sang as Khaine and yet nothing was hit, nothing died and judging by the way my parents reacted they were not hit either, nothing was and nothing died.

Shock sang across the courtyard.

"I see you chose well my husband." My mother broke the silence.

Father did, I did not know it was possible for Voice of Khaine to speak without someone dying.

"That he did, he picked the best for I am the best!" My possibly future master said.

He did not say he accepted my apprenticeship yet.

"I always do! Come let us go inside and talk properly over some tea."

Father lead us to the dining room and we sat down on the cushions at the round table as sister brought tea and snacks but like always refused to sit.

"Honored guest Bessar, you've said you have experience with unusual blessings what did you mean?"

I asked as we sat down and started to drink tea. Maybe he could help sister find a blade that fit her, then we could train together.

"I am experienced in finding uses for strange blessings, my first apprentice in my craft had a strange soul and blessing of Khaine but had no talent for any weapon and would lose to those that had trained for a tenth of the time. His family still loved him and I consider his Great Aunt who negotiated his apprenticeship to me, my sister now. I managed to find him something useful to do and now even the princess calls him to her palace to peddle what I taught him."

'Yes, I can work with that.'

'Son.' Father tried to stop me.

'Brother no.' So did sister.

'Son.' And mother.

But I did not care, this is a chance to help sister. I can always pay favors, I can't pay to get my sister to be my sister again.

"Would you be willing to help my sister too? Her blessing and soul shape do not mix well and she needs help finding a blade to swing." I asked and I bowed as deeply as I could.

"Son, please we've tried for one hundred years to find her something, sorry my friend but it is true my former daughter could not use any weapon so we had to disinherit her but she still lives with us."

Father wished to say more but our guest raised his hand and interrupted

"No problem, like I said I specialize in it, bring her to me and if she is willing to show her soul and blessing to me I'll happily help, it's how I stole myself a daughter from Sword Cults after they forsake their daughter for having the same issues despite being blessed by Gea.

My girl now flies across the void and is learning under the best shipwrights on the world she and my apprentice got married on to learn to make her own sword-ship and keep her family in her soul forever." Our master said.

That sounded amazing, maybe sister will be able to do the same? We haven't tried voidship-swords.

"Sister please come." I went up and brought her to the Honored Guest.

We both knelt on the floor near him.

'Yes, I'll have my sister back and none can tell me otherwise!'

"Young Master." My sister said defeated.

"Don't worry young lady please sit, I know this isn't a taboo on this world but are you sure you do not want to do this in private?"

"No, here is alright honored guest."

She did and she showed us.

The shape of the soul changed by the minute. One time it was clean ice, sometimes there was something scrapping on it, then the swish of a blade and the clear air, darkness and Ice replaced by joy and fear.

We all looked at her soul and at our Honored Guest.

"I have never seen something like this… no I think I remember something, please provide me with a pen and paper I need to remember it by drawing."

They were provided in less than five heartbeats by my father, he might have given up but he never stopped loving my sister.

The honored guest proceeded to make some diagrams showcasing moves and a strange vambrance for the left arm with multiple knives coming in and out of it at different movements and angles.

"Please try these movements and tell me if they flow well, this is what I remember of one of the movements of a follower of Lileath that moved and fought against some cultists. It is not complete but if you show them to a follower of Cegorach and ask them to teach you the entire dance they might be able to help. They love teaching people to dance." The honored guest said.

"Could I please look at the sketches? I might be able to remake the blades or something close."

Father was blessed by Vaul so he could make weapons out of Wraithbone easily, and so he made her something close to the sketches and gave it to her. It took him thirty heartbeats.

"Here my dear, they're the best I can make without more detailed sketches."

She bowed and gave her thanks in song.

She took them and read them, then tried wearing what father made. It needed a few adjustments then she started to move and she did more fluidly than I've ever seen before.

'Yes, yes, yes!' I thought to myself.

My sister went through the kata 4 times before she stopped.

"They… they flow, it's a broken flow but it's more than I've ever felt!" My sister sang with joy as she spoke.

"I'm glad to hear it, I don't know the complete move set or if what I've drawn is the only weapon it needs I'm afraid. This is an art made for the faithful of Lileath I managed to see once and that stuck to me as pretty, which is strange that it fits you when you are blessed by Asuryan." the honored guest said.

"Thank you honored guest, I will treasure these and ask a follower of Cegorach about them the first moment I see one. I am in your debt." She said happily and bowed again.

"Don't worry about it girl, I know how you can repay me and it shouldn't take long but it's a task I find unpleasant."

My sister bowed even deeper to the honored guest.

"Ask it of me and I will help."

"There is an area of this city that makes me vomit just being near it, as I was raised to view such things as abhorrent, called the valley of silent screams where individuals scream for people that would find use in the shape of their souls. I need individual with the soul shape of a sword of string, paper and ink of variations of such to teach as lesser apprentices of my craft as I have need of some able bodied helpers for some of my schemes, Those with shuriken pistol-souls or variations would also work."

The Valley of Silent Screams was a shame on any city as the people there could not use a sword or find something to make out of their lives so they let their soul scream into street so that someone might find a use for it. Nobody liked it but such is life.

"I'll go there as soon as I finish my duties for today." My sister said joyfully.

"No, your former duties are irrelevant from now on, I will help you find a servant of Cegorach and look for souls like the Honored Guest requests. We will leave now and let the men talk daughter."

Mother called my sister daughter, she never did for as long as I lived.

'Yes, yes, yes this day is just going better and better, father was right you must always seize the day!'

Mother and sister already rose to leave but the honored guest gave them a warning before they did so.

"Just be careful with the followers of Cegorach, those idiots might try to recruit you, for they tend to take dance lessons as an audition in one of their plays and I doubt you would like to join one of their troupes when you've just regained your place in the family again."

"We will." Mother said and bowed once before leaving and taking sister with her.

"I would like to thank you Honored Guest for helping sister!" I said as my sister and mother left to repay the favor they have received.

"Hardly an issue my apprentice, now come sit back on the cushions. I value loyalty to family greatly young man and you proved that you do possess it, so I agree to take you as an apprentice."

"Thank you master, I swear I won't disappoint."

"I thank you as well friend for taking him in. You said you wished to learn more on the local area as you are not from this world?"

"Yes, for you see I have recently gotten married to two lovely noblewomen after the machination of their evil godmother. They are not citizens of the empire so I need the favor of a prince to make the people of my wives citizens to avoid any legal nonsense. I need to know where there are any princes I can kill and replace or provide services to so that they provide me a princely favor and grant citizenship to the people I now need to look over."

There are eight princes and princesses on this world, 4 of the clans and 4 of the cults, each of them prideful creatures that demand much and either provide little or only misery.

"Would you not need a great war host for it master?" I asked my new master.

"My people can suffice, they are not weak, just raised outside the Empire. I would prefer to resolve things peacefully but if none offer me a reasonable price and deal I'll have to stack heads up, and wouldn't be the first time I had to kill idiots to get my way and they were older than me too."

"That may be so friend Bessar but the princes and princesses of this world are unkind. The only one I imagine might be willing to help is Lammor, he is pious but strange."

My new master looked surprised.

"I was honestly not expecting to even find princes willing to help, from what I know of them they're meddlesome and insane and rarely do not try to get out of their deals. What would make the man strange?"

"He uses ranged weaponry in his fighting and is very petty."

He is the only prince that does use two weapons. Eldar are one weapon, to use two at once is strange.

"Does he still use a sword at least?"

"Yes, he just uses both at the same time, a one handed blade and a flame thrower."

"A flame thrower? I do not think I've ever heard of Eldar ever using such a weapon, I've heard of orks though, maybe he's related to them and I need to paint myself green to be considered kin?"

Both father and I laugh at his joke.

"No my friend, even if he's as rude as the stories describe the greenskins. The man is willing to entertain guests and petitions for favor from any individual as long as they are pious, but he fights strangely and insists on strange rituals such as making sure all beds share the same orientation as his and he changes it every few days.

He is just strange and petty, and the rest from what I know of them would never give princely favors unless their life is on the line, but he occasionally grants them and fulfills his end of the bargain. "

My new master is caressing his non-existent stubble like 'First cut'. He told us it helps him think.

"You have given me much to think about and I thank you for it, Lanniar Narainn tomorrow we'll start seeing what your mind is made out of, as blessings of Khaine require a certain mentality to work properly and can cause bad habits to form and I need to find a place to sleep and recover from my travels in."

What nonsense is this, my master needing to find another place to sleep? Does he think us poor?

"Nonsense, my friend and master of my son you can sleep in our home, we have enough free rooms."

"I would not wish to impose."

'We're not the type of people to leave those who help our family out on the street!' I thought in indignation but did not say.

"Nonsense you helped my daughter and are helping my son to sing properly, least we could do is give you a room to sleep in."

"In that case I thank you for it."




AN: Bir Gea= Bior Géar → Sharp tip

Caideam Caiir= Claidheamh copair→ copper sword

Lanniar Narainn=Lann iarainn →Iron sword

Lammor= Lámh Mór→ Great Hand