The End of The Silence

Dissonant chants pounded through Sayane’s mind. The machina was ready. Stol lifted a forked metal rod that crackled with power. Thousands of voices roared in excitement.

Sayane tried to kick away, but she was pinned in place.

“Azag,” she whimpered.

“Azag, hurry.”

Red Dissonance licked Sayane’s skin as Stol knelt before her with a wicked smile.

“I will enjoy this,” he whispered.

Behind him, the Dissonance hissed with excitement.

"You stole the songs from the women you murdered and turned them into weapons..." Sayane scowled in rage.

"What else does one do with tools?" Stol asked as he leaned forward.

Sayane’s hands locked into fists as the fork touched her throat. Immediately, her skin simultaneously felt frozen and ignited. The cavities behind her eyes burned. A scream of agony tore itself from Sayane’s mouth as absolute suffering took control of her body.

Dissonant chants continued to scream in unknown languages.

But Sayane resisted. As tears ran down her face, she focused on holding onto what was hers.

“No! No!!! NOOOO!!!” She bellowed as she kicked Stol in the chest, knocking him back.

He let out a growl of rage as he stood back to his feet and jabbed the flattened fork end back to Sayane’s neck.

The pain somehow intensified, but Sayane did not give in.

Not after everything they’d done. Not after all she’d seen and felt. Not after him. Not after she had finally found her voice. She made peace with dying, but she would die with her song.

“You resist? How?” Stol muttered in shock.

Sayane’s eyes flashed purple.

“Because people’s voices and songs are not products or tools for others to use or control. I WILL NEVER BE BROKEN BY SOMEONE LIKE YOU EVER AGAIN!!” Sayane screamed.

Much like her scream in the assault of The Underworld, this sound came from deep within her soul. It sounded out like an army of bells. Beneath her feet, the metal began to bend. Stol recoiled slightly in genuine fear, and the fork’s ends began to bend.

In desperation, he slammed it to her chest once more. But Sayane continued to scream. Dissonance burned across her body, but a new energy appeared. It was purple, bright, and kind. It layered over the Dissonance and blended with it, until the jagged rhythms of the Dissonance began to smooth. Sayane’s soul harmonized with the terrifying sound.

“Impossible!!” Stol shouted as Sayane breathed in once more and screamed the remains of her spirit forth.

Her harmony overtook the Dissonance and pushed it back into the mouths from whence they came. The screams stopped and turned into angelic cries.

“Noooo!!!” Stol roared, but it was too late.

Sayane held the note until the mouths of all the other songstresses harmonized with her. There was a pause, then the glass containers shattered. The explosion sent a shockwave out like a bomb. Metal bent. Glass shattered. Columns cracked. Stop and his minions collapsed backwards, freeing Sayane.

Her sound trailed off as her eyes glowed purple. The mouths of the forgotten songstresses began to chant once more as Sayane rose, her song still there. In the sky, high above them, there was a flash of light. Something metallic glinted in the shining sun.

“AZAAAAAGGGGGG!!!!” Sayane called out.

Thrusters fired, and a massive being hurdled through the sky like a comet, down towards the crowd.

There was a crash, and dozens of powered flames exploded from thrusters, sending waves of fire towards the primarch and the other leaders of the empire. The great metal beast was between Sayane and the crystal and The Silence. Esca rose, her hands glowing from heat.

Esca’s powerful grip ripped a chunk of metal from the ground and slammed it before Sayane to shield her.

Above the crowd, dozens of airships appeared. Hundreds of bodies leapt from the craft and landed between Sayane and the horde. Dozens of Psephos crashed down in a thud and immediately slammed their fists into the fractured plate. Supports snapped and the crowd screamed in fear.

Stol and the others tried to rise, but Esca was already over them. Her charged fists slammed down, crushing bodies into pulp and blood. Blades hissed and her swing tore three beings in half. Stol’s weapon raised and Esca’s chest was blown open. Her right arm fell away but she continued to fight.

Some in the crowd began to sneak away. The Psephos allowed them to leave. The rests stayed and continued to scream in hate.

Esca’s fist rose once more. Her punch tore the head from her victim. Stol fired once more and Esca’s leg exploded.

She fell forward with a roar and the pilot cage opened. Azag’s body collapsed out and down onto the crumpled ground. Sayane rushed around her metal shield to see him grasping for his canes.

His mask was loose, revealing most of his face to those nearby.

Stol let out a laugh.

“Ahhhhh, so you were one of the research unit’s Rabal pets…”

Azag pulled his mask away and pressed his fingers over two specific locations on his canes.

“You should have killed me back then,” Azag said with a murderous smile.

His hand flung his mask through the air towards Stol and the others. As it flew through the air, Azag’s fingers lifted from the trigger releases. Sayane reached him and he jerked her to him in protection. The blast was high pitched and dangerous. Chunks on shrapnel hurled through the air and struck all in proximity.

Most were killed instantly. Stol was struck in the throat, face, liver, and legs, but rage seized his mind. He let out a murderous howl as he changed forward with a final desperate attack. His weapon aimed at Sayane and charged. But then Azag’s massive hand was there to stop the onslaught.

Stol grimaced as the enormous Rabal rose before him. Azag’s hands crushed the chamber and grabbed Stol’s throat. Spurts of blood ran down his back as he lifted Stol to the sky. Leather slid from skin, revealing his hand.

“Your empire never figured out my kind’s ability. Allow me to give you a final demonstration,” Azag growled as his hands touched Stol’s face.

“Feel our pain and die in agony,” Azag snarled.

Stol’s eyes rolled backward as a howl of suffering echoed across the walls of the square. Then Azag’s hand tensed, and Stol’s throat was crushed like a ripened fruit. His limp body fell to Azag’s feet.

“Silence,” Azag spat.

The Silence’s rulers were dead.