Chapter 10: Two bodies. One mind
Hannah was pacing, she had refused to sleep as it has been over several hours since Joseph said he was going on walkabout...
She glanced up at the direction he had gone in..
"Where is he!" She growled at the System.
[I don't know Mistress, I can't find him anyway. It is as if he no longer exists but his strings of fate are still there.]
"It has been hours though! He should have come back by now!" Scratching her head violently.
"Fuck it, I'm looking for him." She announced to no one which made the shift watch jump as they weren't expecting to hear anything from her.
Her attendant Hamilton appeared at her announcement, "My Daughter, you haven't slept since 0400 or this planet's 'dawn', so please sleep. We can find him." His voice was very mechanical something she was still wasn't use too.
She glared at him, "No. I will lead this search." Her order was none negotiable, Hamilton nodded.
He turned and awaken the three Skitarii since they were still, mostly human so they still needed sleep.
This slight commotion woke some of the other guardsmen whom were asleep.
Felica sensed the air, armed herself fast and so did the Medicae. The pair approached Hannah.
"We wish to help and offer our expertise." Felica says, she stood ram rod straight knowing that she couldn't order anyone around outside of our own men.
Hannah looked at her briefly, her "tail" and "ears" seemed to focus onto the woman in front of her. Felica didn't worry, she had done nothing that could get herself in trouble by Machanicus laws.
"... I don't know on who to address you. Madam Hannah, the Medicae and I wish to come along to find our own Prince." Felica said, her voice filled with a conviction... but her voice also had a edge that Hannah believes said that despite the reasonable request there was a hidden threat...
Hannah couldn't help but give a small smirk... "You should watch your tone, but I accept your request." She wasn't happy, was that a small showing of the divide in our forces? We can't have dissenters in the ranks...
[I FOUND HIM!]
The System's sudden shout makes Hannah jump, ignoring that Felica was just talking to her she turned, "WHERE!?" She hissed.
…
[MASTER! MASTER!]
Hannah... I need to find her! WHERE!
"ARGH!" Joseph shot awake and looked around himself, but an instant sense of double everything hits him...
[The fu-? Nevermind close your eyes! NOW!]
Joseph didn't hear the system, and through brute force he stood up and so did the wolf...
Slowly, he felt just like his emotions he could control the wolf.
With a thought he lost the double vision, then the hearing and finally the sense of smell... though he knew that he would have to endure it later.
"Sit." He ordered the wolf and the wolf sat... "Can you think on your own?" He asked but nothing happened until he wanted the wolf to nod and it did...
This is weird... I killed the beast and it's now one and the same with me? Who... could. He asked himself
Instantly tear at the thigh armour over his wound and found nothing... even my clothing was mended... collapses to his knees.
"How close was I? Truly? Did the Emperor save me? And did he make me and the wolf are one and the same?"
He didn't know any lore like that... but it could be possible...
The wolf moves around him, he was doing it subconsciously...
With a thought his vision became doubled. Closing his human eyes, he focused on looking around with the wolf, it was weird and yet natural... next he cover his own ears and reopen the wolf's.
He sat there, meditating it was so natural... it also felt off, be he really couldn't complain.
[MASTER!]
"What?" He asked annoyed, "What!?"
[Master you disappeared for me when that wolf showed up, I couldn't find you what so ever.]
That makes sense since during the fight, I had felt off and when I tried to use the Warp and nothing...
Taking a deep breath and opened his eyes along with uncovering his ears... again the double vision and earing with a shake of his head, it slowly becomes natural.
With several breathes it become too natural. Running his hand through the wolf's fur he felt as if someone was running fingers along my own spine where he did to the wolf.
"System tell me where Hannah is." He orders and pulls himself onto the wolf's back, the fur griped in his hands and the way he mounted... again it was as if he had always done it this way...
[She is on your 11 O'clock and she is heading your way.]
"Roger." Subconsciously the wolf moved in his desired direction and walked at first at the pace of a human but soon picked out to the wolf's walking pace, and than into a mild jog.
…
[Mistress, Master is heading your way and I recommend that you don't shoot what he is riding.]
"What way?" She asked in return.
[He is coming from your 11 O'clock]
"Hold, we have incoming on our eleven O'clock. They are friendlies. It's the Prince." She orders and holds her right fist into the air. With that order the soldiers around her turned off their flashlights.
The men around he set up, all aiming each which way with Felica and Juliana looking expectantly, Galvanic rifles and Lasguns sweep fields of fire and a single plasma pistol held in a tightening grip.
-Crunch crunch-
"Contact! Eleven O'clock! Large. Two meter high!" Felica called and aimed over her finger inched closer to the trigger, "There!" She pointed out at the shape that was forming from the dark.
"Hold fire!" Hannah orders. "If anyone goes against it I will shoot you myself."
Several gulps and the two Guardsmen looking at each other, with the Medicae leaving a small comment, "Don't look at me, plasma is nothing I can fix."
-Crunch crunch-
Hannah looked up and saw what was a two meter tall creature it advanced it's lower body was large and from the way it walked it had four legs. And it's upper body was that similar to human.
"Lights?" Hannah asked.
Within a second several lights shone from Lasguns and Galvanic rifles light up on the creature.
"By the Emperor, that is bright." Joseph said on the back of a... large wolf...
Everyone looks up at him, the wolf did seemed unamused while the rider the Prince of the Imperium seemed more annoyed by the lights shining into his eyes.
"Joseph what happened?" She asked exhaustedly and approached him without hesitation.
Joseph dismounted from the wolf in what looked like a practiced ease, and before he could say anything Hannah gave him a strong hug with her Mechadendrite wrapping around his waist...
"Too tight..." He said into her ear as the metal limp was squeezing him... "I didn't know you would miss be that much. Hehe."
"Idiot..." She muttered softly... "What happened!" She asked again.
"I really don't know... I needed to blow off some steam... and during that this wolf showed up we kinda fought and I guess I won? But got fucked up as well and without... His help I may have died..."
"His? Wait do you mean..."
"Yes... I think the Emperor saved my life... but I don't know, all I know was that a golden light akin to my own..." He said slumping onto her with his head on her shoulder... "I thought I was going to die..." He muttered and tears started forming... "I though I was not going to see you again."
His legs gave out causing them both onto their knees... "It's okay, I'm here. See I'm not going anywhere." Hannah assures holding him close.
The pair knelt there, with the wolf moving around themselves and laid down...
"So.." Hannah started, "What is the wolf?"
"I don't really know, but I am it and it to I..."
Hannah got confused by the odd answer... "What?"
[I think what his trying to say, and what I can tell from the Strings of fate, is that they are. They being the wolf and Master is that they are both one person, just in two bodies... but I can't tell what type of wolf it is... long explanation short. That wolf and Master are the same person and he can mentality order it around.]
"Is that true?" She asked.
"I think... but I can also share sight, hearing and smell with it." He explained.
"I just want to sleep." Joseph continues and laughs slightly.