The Cradle  

{pictures} 

The galaxy is at a crossroad… and my warning has fallen on deaf ears… The imperium's believe themself incorruptible! They do not see the treachery at the door! I have bled so much just to leave a note on their throne! The forces of chaos are coming! And with it, the burning of the cosmos! These young humans do not know the wisdom of our past, nor will they care to listen! For their pride blinds them to the truth… their pride will be the start of their fall! 

I have lost my best friend… In a war that could have been avoid! Sigh, in these ten thousand years that I have lived to see… I knew these days were coming! But did not wish it so… I tried my best to change it… to save a billion lives! I solemnly wish I could have done more, but I know my time is at an end… for the galaxy doesn't need an old man such as I anymore… but before I go, I left everything in one box… in one cradle! 

→→→→→→→→→→→→→Exert by farseer Eldrad Ulthran… 

In the twisting ether, 'lies' a soul… a lonely soul bout for revenge! For its mind burns with searing images of its death! It could still feel the warmth of the scar across its corporeal chest. As its red scale flickered in its ghostly form, its eyes smoldered in non-compliance! For as it was beseeched in its master palm, he wanted out from his cage…

for while its tail waged in eagerness, its mouth drooled its calcine spit! For as it slept in its cradle… the master bathed it in liquid blood that kindled from the skulls from all creation! There the monster slept… there the monster waited… And there the monster grew! The master perfect hound! 

But while the hound slept… The ravens chirped their whispers through time! Time that twisted into the ears of a dying man… And through the chorus of birds did he find freedom to spread his wings! And through the slaughter of the Drukhari, Slaanesh felt a change… a subtle change! But a change nonetheless! She felt the pull of history changing but did not know why—and cared little for it! 

But as that subtle change rippled through the cosmos, it reached the aw father Nurgle! And he knew better than to ignore the change! For he loves to mold time! And now something was changing the linearness of time! Sensing something off, he extended his senses to all his many legions, throughout the galaxy! For he will find this change, and when he does… he will pour out his blessing onto it! 

But while he was searching, a small group of Eldar warriors stood in the rain, cloaked in mirrors, while conversing in whispers: 

[sister… do you think it was wise for us to steal that blade!] 

[hush sister! The Sororitas are no threat to us! Not anymore since the great rift opened up and destroyed many of their worlds! In fact, they should be thanking us for saving such precious artifacts!] 

[I understand sister! But then why did we leave in an abandoned train out in the middle of nowhere?] 

[Hush dear sister! The farseer knows best! If he so, chooses this spot, then he did so for a good reason! You should already know, that the farseer will do anything to save our craft world!] 

[This one understands…] 

[look now, dear sister! The humans have reached the train!] 

[what is the will of the farseer now…sister] 

[dear sister, it is to watch and wait for our moment! But remember we are not to be seen under any circumstance!] 

[This one understands] 

[but sister… will one puny sword be enough to save them… their enemy number is limitless!] 

[dear sister… just wait… for the future is already changing as we speak! And we must make sure the dice rolls in our favor! Remember, only slight nudges at a time! If we overextend our hand, then an even worse future can await us in the end…] 

[I understand] 

Layla and Molly's POV 

Staring down a monster four times her size, Molly knew her strength wasn't enough… nowhere near enough… But as Layla words rang in her ear to throw the box of grenades as far as she could! She didn't hesitate and did just that but who could throw such a heavy box far? It barely managed to knock back a few bugs before landing only a few meters away from the train!

Covered in rain and mud, while the clouds lit up above, the red-light glowing off flares only made the visuals of the Haruspex ever more apparent, that it was old! Very old! And broken! Covered in scars and missing limbs, the creature still stood tall, even when battered through times cruelty! 

Its charging force was slowed by time, slowed by aging muscles, but did it care... No! For it will do its duty till the end! And its duty now was to ram into this train with all its remaining strength! Oh! How it wished to go back to its, God! To be reanimated again in a more youthful strength, but now wasn't the time to think of such thought! For now, it was the time to fulfill its duty! 

But while it ran, covered by its siblings, the gun turret ate away at its younger brothers! Mary was screaming inside the train as she could do nothing but watch a slow-moving mass of a monster move to derail the train! Molly, on the other hand, had her hands full, covering for Layla as she made her way to the coupling part of the third cart!

But while she stood her ground like a wall of iron, with a burning flame that torched all the bugs that got near! She trusted her shield to bear the weight of her foe-burning claws, claws that began to ignore the scorching of the flames! But while she was focused on the battle in front of her, she forgot about the bugs that crawled around the train! 

In that one fateful moment, a claw reached from her side and tore away at her helmet! But as it reached for another strike a shot came from seemly nowhere! A bolter round that killed the bug outright! But not just that bug but many that would have killed her as she regained a sense of awareness! Back on her feet, she did not have time to care about where the shots came from or from whom. She was only thankful that it happened, whether it was Layla or someone else. 

As Layla arrived at the third cart she killed the bug around it with a few simple shots, until she heard Molly scream! Fearing the worst, she turned around to see that she was fine! Sure, her helmet was broken, but she was alive! She did wonder why the bugs around Molly weren't all killed by fire, but that wasn't important at the moment.

What was important was that the big bug Haruspex was nearing the box of grenades! Thinking quickly Layla turned to fire her meltagun, but as she aimed at the box covered by bugs, more bugs appeared behind her! And like a magical moment as Layla prayed to her gun for the accuracy of the Gods, a dozen bolter rounds flew right past her and killed the bugs behind her as her round landed squarely on the box! 

The light produced by the exploding plasma grenades was so vivid and beautiful that it filled the night sky into the day! But within the beauty held a dark secret! For hidden deep in the box, did the girl fail to spot that one of the grenades was not a plasma grenade but a Vortex Grenda! And like a black hole, in drank in the light! For a vortex grenade not only tears a hole into RealSpace, but into the warp itself!

And when the black hole sucked in the light! It was like a pause in real time, no one dared move… for they couldn't! For when the pull started up again, the charged meat left by the Haruspex was the first to be swallowed! The sad thing was that Haruspex wasn't fully dead! It felt every bit of its flesh being pulled apart piece by piece! 

As it screamed its pain, so too did its sibling as they went in with it! All while the Neuroloid was forced to watch all this from his perch! While it once danced its tentacles thinking it had won, now danced in solace and anger! Staring aw struck at the scene before him, made him contemplate how he could have lost! He had the numbers and the strength! Hell, even the weather was on his side! Yet he still lost! He still has yet to acquire these Sapien's genes! 

, 

But while the Neuroloid wallowed in its anger, Layla quickly realized the trouble they were in! After all, a vortex grenade can be unpredictable! Even she doesn't know if it will vanish or split or call something through the warp! All she could do now was quickly cut them loose and get this train moving! 

But as that train made its maiden voyage out, a dark howl could be heard across the stars! All the while a man dressed in ancient robes with bird limbs watched everything! As the Aeldari throw down their bolters at the feet of their seer. 

[Finally… the baby has left her first cradle!] said the farseer 

[finally... I can begin my chase!] yelled a hound 

[finally… the future is changing!] said the Former Primaris