“She came out of the temple for the first time, riding the giant reptile the lizard shaman gave us. All bowed, the inquisitor and the priestess, captains and sellswords, the abasko wildmen, the most arrogant diestros, even the lobizom bowed his head like a loyal hound. Altos Aires was emptied that day, even Myrmidia came, and I swear to you her statue had changed. She was not the serene beauty you can see now in the temple, she was the very image of wrath and without her not many would have held the line. She came with us, all the way from Estalia, and now she rode on the back of a mastodon and the beast obeyed every order her priestess gave, just like the tarascas do at home. Blessed, beautiful Invicta!
I don’t remember much of that battle. All I know is I killed more skaven than I can count and all I could think of was Her words, Her teachings and mantras and strategies. With Her, battle is a game of regicide and even swarms of rats can be predictable.
Myrmidia Invicta, the silver goddess of Talavera walked the Culchan Plains. Pray that you are fortunate enough to see it, but not too much. When she leaves the temple it means the alternative is nothing less than the end of Altos Aires.
And if you find the time boy, ask yourself what I ask myself: why did the lizards gave us that present? A mount for Myrmidia, complete with a stone platform on its back as if they knew exactly what we would use it for. Ask yourself if they knew we would need it, and then ask why would they help us survive when you might end on their sacrificial stone next time we sack one of those ruins they care so much about.
You may even grow bold enough to ask old Remigio what he knows of all this, but don’t expect to fare better than I did. He ignores me; he might just punch your jaw away for having the nerve. If you ever do ask, warn me first, I have a bet with Alejo.”
Amílcar Borja, veteran. Altos Aires. Culchan Plains. Lustria –
