Achaia +I+

Hubrecht Payll climbed an ancient, spiral staircase with growing frustration. The staircase was enormous and wide enough for several people to ascend side by side. A small blessing, Hubrecht pondered as he carefully placed a massive boot of warp-wrought terminator armour to the side of a cracked stair tile.

Gishen Zheen stared intently at the green orb at the center of his force staff as he started his chant. ‘Malamennagorastica. Hovija. Khza..‘
‘..Eugh..’
Broken from his focus, Gishen’s stare switched instantly from The Craven’s Eye to the source of the interruption.
‘..Breugh..’ grunted one of the chained sacrifices drunkenly in a sort-of half-vomit motion.
‘I thought I ordered you to keep them silent, Hathos!’ Gishen screeched at his twin brother.
‘You don’t order me anything, Gishen.’ Hathos replied from across the bloody runic circle.
‘We don’t have time for this!’ Gishen snapped back through clenched teeth. ‘The ritual is taking too long already and the ninth dawn is almost upon us!’
‘Fine.’ Hathos replied coldly as he raised his index finger in front of his horned helmet.
‘Hmph!’ was the last sound that came from the sacrifice as her mouth dissapeared from her face.
Then, as if there had been no interruption at all, Gishen continued with his ritual chant. ‘h’tel arif negassamar.‘ Gishen and Hathor raised their right hand in front of them and spread their fingers in unison as they both continued the chant. ‘Umbranor. Umbranororara. Darayavahus. Vyle.‘

Even though eight of the nine suns of Ochar VI were in the sky and the runic circle was lit by severeal aetherflame torches, the spire chamber was in complete darkness.
‘Your devotion has not gone unnoticed my children.‘
Gishen and Hathor could not see what was happening inside the circle, but it was not hard to imagine from the sounds. The snapping of bones, the wet slaps of flesh, blood and the crackle of dark energies, stitching together.
‘These sacrifices are pleasing to me. You have chosen well. I will be able to maintain this vessel nicely.‘
The sorcerers felt a vast form emerging. The aetherflames became visible again, but their light did not penetrate the almost tangible cloud of shadows within the circle.
‘You have been chosen by the Eternal Changer.‘ the daemon spoke from the darkness.
‘I am not worthy of his blessings, oh great one.’ Gishen said as the pent up stress from the ritual left him and he fell to his knees in supplication.
‘You are correct, Sorcerer.‘ the daemon said dryly as the darkness receded and his massive winged form became visible at last. ‘I was referring to your superior.‘
‘Our next destination, Shadowcursed. That was the deal.’ Hubrecht Payll growled in irritation from beside the staircase door.
‘Impatience is not a virtue for the Fatesworn, captain.‘ the daemon said mockingly.
‘Your price has been paid, however. The path shall be revealed to you as promised.‘

Before either Hubrecht, Gishen or Hathos could say anything else the spire chamber began to shake terribly. The ancient bricks that made up the chamber’s roofing started crumbling on the armour and helmets of the assembled renegades. The Shadowcursed spread his wings and closed them again in rapid succession until a hole emerged from which a piercing light shone and the ninth dawn was revealed. The light of all of Ochar’s nine suns shone as a blazing spear through the chamber and burned into an irridescent portal on an opposing marble wall section. The portal grew rapidly across the wall until it started burning away the floor and roof sections. ‘Get us out!’ Hubrecht yelled at his sorcerers. ‘Get us to the ship! We’re done here!’

Still startled and spent from days of intense concentration, Gishen and Hathos were too tired to disobey. Using the last bit of magical energy they had left, they teleported themselves and Hubrecht onto Key to Eternity, the renegade strike cruiser suspended above the shattered world.
‘Align us to the spire coördinates.’ Hubrecht commanded as he entered the Key’s bridge. ‘A portal is going to appear. The way to Achaia is finally open.’