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This is fan fiction and is unofficial and in no way associated with Games Workshop Limited
Thank you to Risia for letting me use her chr in this book
Chapter 3 Book 2 Hell Gate
Sharue was scrambling to the water which always seemed to just slip out of her reach. This accursed world taunted her at every step. The daemon had told the truth that there was water above that skull and rock peak, but it seemed to have a mind of its own as it slipped under the sands or moved. As if it had waves that would crest above the sands only to splash and go back under them.
"You have got to be kidding me!" The thirst had taken hold as she stayed on all fours watching the water shift and sway before starting to dig frantically sending the blood-colored sands into the air. Grunting and letting out almost a feral growl she dug till the sand turned more into mud and then a puddle of it would start to form only to slip away making her scream out in frustration and throw the mud sand off to the side and stand and look to the sky.
Like everything else on this world, the sky was nothing but an oddity that could not be relied on. Above her was the purple hue of the world but the blackness of the void dominated the vast expanse, and she could still see the world engine floating there above the world like a menacing moon deciding whether or not it should crash into the world or leave it be.
Warp tears would open and close, and some times the ships and objects in the sky would look as if they were frozen in time and other times it would look like they were moving much to fast. Giving a sigh, she dropped back to her knees and dug frantically till the pool formed again and dipped down to put her muzzle in it lapping and sucking up the water that she could get to.
It was bitter and tasted like grock piss, but at this point, Sharue didn't care. Gulping greedily she tried to get her fill only to have it slip off making her dig again. Even the water was cursed around here, she thought as she dug again before she hit something odd. The root that she hit moved and sucked into the ground.
It had happened so fast that she didn’t have a chance to react as the sands seemed to shift about and only then did she have the mind to scramble out of the hole she had been digging and getaway. The sands burst forth as a monster with way too many teeth slammed down where she had just been. Water slogged off it as it’s tendrils lashed out at her.
Though they only hit the green shimmer of her kien shield, which was probably the only thing that saved her from the beast. It’s howls of frustration filled the air as it slammed down on her warp spawned shield even opening its massive jaws to bite down on it. Sharue’s pitiful screams couldn't overcome the monster's angry howls till finally it figured out it could not get its prey and slowly backed off, allowing the vixen to get a good view of the beast.
+You do not have to be afraid of it mortal, you have the power to not only keep it at bay but to kill it quickly.+
That was easier said than done, but she slowly relaxed and looked at the monster in front of her. The beast was still snapping and would occasionally slap its tendrils at her making her Kein shield flare out. After the sand storm, she had found that it had been much more comfortable to call forth as if something had changed in her.
Another thing she had noticed though was by accessing this power her rotting shackles had gained a few links to them, the metal looking more formed as if the rust had reversed itself and began to turn back to its pristine self. Though that was far off and the daemon was correct as slowly her fear melted away to some curiosity. It didn’t stop her from jumping when the beast slammed her kien shield though. “What is it?” The monster looked almost like a corrupted form of an octopus from the legends of old Terra. Though the top of the head was a massive maw and the tentacles were lined with barbs and boney growth. To many eyes waved about its head on thin strands of flesh as water spilled out of what looked like gills hitting the sands and flowing away.
+The never born call it a Turattha. It lures its victims with the water and then springs its attack on them.+ The voice still made the foxes eye twitch and her headache, but she had slowly been getting used to it. "And you knew it was here." She said out loud accusingly.
+Yes as it is all part of the warp and thus all one being.+
That had been something the Daemon had said a few times now, and Sharue didn't know what to make of it. The Turattha slowly started to rebury itself, using its many arms to grab and drag sand over to it as it reset its trap. Standing Sharue looked it over till soon just the very tip of its head was sticking up from the sands looking like a rock and from that rock it squirted water out as if it could lure Sharue in closer and maybe that would work.
+Kill it.+
The fox thought about it. "If I kill it, then the water stops." An amused feeling flowed through her as the daemon felt like her statement warranted that emotion. Sharue had noticed that the more she had accepted her power, the more she felt the daemon in her. His emotions were hers some times, and that scared her. She knew she would have to use her power to survive but using it too much she might lose herself. Corbel had warned her about something like that.
"Drink from the abyss to deeply, and you will find yourself lost in its sea, and the drink you so sought after to drink from will turn to salt and leave you unfulfilled."
His words about using one's power and diving too deeply into it. When she thought of Crobel’s words, she could feel the frustration flow from the daemon. Which told her that he spoke the truth and she was glad that he had gotten to her before this had happened.
+But if you leave it, it will hunt and kill more travelers.+ The daemon said. That was true, and a sense of protecting others did well up in her. Though that meant using her power and that also scared her. Damn this daemon, it tried to keep her in situations that would force her to choose her ability.
+Maybe this will entice you more mortal, within that beast is a gland that when removed will give you as much water as you want when you want.+
Sharue was dubious at that statement, but this was the warp, and things did not need to follow the laws of reality. In fact, as she was thinking about that a small lizard scrambled by growing up and turning old and dying before her eyes. The flesh rotting off its body. The bones being reabsorbed into the sands as if time had passed by in a heartbeat. The daemon had warned her about pockets of space like this where time was out of sync with others. Those who walk in them might find themselves spending days, months, or even years accelerated or slowed.
To that lizard, Sharue had stood still its whole life only to have died of probably starvation or thirst unable to get out of the loop in time. There were so many dangers on this world, and the only reason she was still alive was that the daemon would warn her of things and help guide her. Though that guidance was selfish in nature and not in her best interest.
The thought of having a water source was tempting, and to be honest, was more accessible and safer than having to find another one of these monsters or another questionable water source. Though how would she even kill it. If she just used her power, it would just blow apart. It was big, but her strength was unpredictable.
+You can kill it without using a large amount of your ability mortal. Think of your ability as a bullet, a small one that you can put anywhere in that creature.+ Sharue thought on that, maybe if she used a more modest amount then its control would spread less? She didn't know, but she also didn't really know exactly what it meant by small and place it anywhere in the creature. Like will it in?
"What do you mean?" She scowled, watching the squirting water spout the same fluid that she needed to live. She would have to kill something in order for herself to survive. One could call that selfishness as your taking from something so you could live, but at the same time, Sharue could not bring herself to the point where she would let herself die.
The creature looking like a monster helped her decide that this was for the best. Now the question was how in the world would she put her power into a small pinpoint spot and release it? “Do I point at it or something?” A chuckle of amusement frustrated Sharue as the daemon made sport of her ignorance.
+It is all in your will. You simply focus on willing it to happen by adjusting how the warp interprets your thoughts.+
That was a bit vague, Sharue thought making her sigh a bit. +For now maybe focus on one of the tendrils then.+
It was under the sand again trying to lure her in meaning she would have to lure it back out. Stepping up, she tried to bring it out by stamping the sand which did get some movement out of it. It was as if the monster could feel the shift of the situation and actually dug a bit deeper in. That made the fox pause as she watched it wiggle in a bit deeper. "Are you fracking kidding me?" she muttered stomping on the sand trying to get the monster to come at her. Even to the point where she was jumping with both feet before sighing.
+It feels your power now. You could force it to attack by hurting it.+
"How?! It's under the sand!" She snapped, pointing at the red sands that seemed to bubble and boil. That earned her a sharp vision from the Daemon. It showed her focusing her ability deep underground and letting it off. The vision had made her body go stiff and her teeth clench, her fingers curling into tight claws before she was released with a gasp. Stumbling before grabbing her head in pain. "Don't do that!" She screamed. One eye bloodshot and blood coming out of a nostril in a slow ooze.
She had noticed that over time, her mentality had seemed to become a bit more erratic. One moment she could be scared out of her mind the next angry and irritable.
+You think too small and refuse to think outside your perception of situations mortal. It will get you killed, and if you do not wish me to do this, then learn and adapt. Start thinking about how you can use your abilities and accept that they are yours to use.+
“NO! Damn it no! I do not want to rely on them!” She let out thumping her head with a paw. She was no fool and knew that her abilities were the key to her survival, but if she did not want to use them to fix everything. Not only did she loathe them for what they made her into, but she also felt that the daemon was winning a little bit at a time each time she used them.
That little spark of ‘I could just do this.’ Mindset scaring her. Corbel had w….. +That name again, you should not listen to his limited view of what you are.+
“Damn you stay out of my thoughts!” There was no privacy with the monster. It heard and saw all she thought about.
+Enough, the beast is getting away.+ Looking up with a paw over one eye and the other eye quivering she saw the sands shifting about and angerly put her paw to the sands. Her ability was that of equal exchange. To user her power, she must first pull the energy from somewhere. She didn't know quite how it worked or that it was actually energy on the subatomic level, but she knew that she had to ‘draw' it from somewhere.
Frost started to form over the sand as everything had potential energy. The molecular bonds that held things together along with the bonds that held atoms together could be used along with kinetic, chemical, and thermal. It was all energy, and while Sharue herself didn't realize it, that ability to draw from that energy could be terrifying. Just a small amount of energy released from breaking the bonds of an atom could end up causing widespread devastation.
That was what she was, an potential energy vampire. Something that showed as frost built up more, and the sand broke down into dust and the dust into nothing. Now all she had to do was…
The ground suddenly heaved, sending her almost fifty feet into the air as she released the build-up deep in the ground. “OH SHIT!” Her arms flailing about as a four hundred meter stretch of sand exploded upwards. It did its intended effect as the monster soon found itself in a similar situation half in the air and half surrounded by flying rock and sand as its roar filled the air.
When Sharue landed, she could feel the wind forced out of her as she rolled down the sand dune and come to a stop. A wave of sand was rolling down the hill, threatening to bury her as well as some of the larger stones wanting to smash her as they landed making small creators where they impacted.
Being winded, she lost focus, unable to bring up her Kine shield to help her avoid being buried till all that was left was settling sand. It took a few moments before her paw burst through the sand and her gasping maw made its appearance. “T….this.” She wheezed out. “Is why I hate my power.” Coughing and struggling to pull herself up and out of the sand. Giving a sigh before sitting and looking over at the monster who was thrashing about. Its small mind confused as to what just happened.
Standing, she watched the monster thrash about trying to find its hold in the sand and rebury its self. She would have to act fast before it escaped back under the sands. Picking up a small rock, she let it frost over and disintegrate into nothing. Maybe if she didn't pull so much, there wouldn't be so much to use.
Looking up, she looked at one of the tendrils and tried to focus on it. Sharue really wished she understood how this all was working. Corbel had helped her with her mindscape but never had touched on this ability. The ability formed not in the tendril-like she wanted but in the air as a massive thunderclap of released energy drove her to the ground again and flattened the monster.
It didn't kill it, though, but it was panicked. Snapping and thrashing about in the air trying to attack its invisible attacker. "Emperor damn me," Sha muttered groaning as she got back up again.
"And now you're quite." She said in frustration, referring to the fact that now the Daemon didn't have anything to say while she nearly killed herself trying to learn her ability.
Grabbing something smaller, she tried again learning something else. The fact that energy was usually just that. While letting out all of it quickly produced an explosion if it was let out slower, it acted more like a melta charge. This time There was a slower clap of energy that was released and a scream of pain. Sharue was unsure how she did it, but there was almost a sixty-foot crater of glowing red sand and half a monster flopping about at its edge. The red sands were now glass, still glowing for the heat. That's when she realized that she might have been a bit too close to it. Feeling a bit singed, she backed off.
Why the hell couldn’t she bring up her Kine shield like she had before when she let out her power with Reed or the others?
Cautiously she took note of the monster seeing that it was wounded badly, ichor running from its wounds as it gagged out not water this time but its own blood. It took a few more moments, but eventually, it went still. Allowing herself to recover as well it would be another few moments before she would start to walk up to it and poke and pull at some of its body.
Finally, when she was sure it was dead, she climbed up on it and dug about in its innards. "What am I looking for daemon?" She asked, sitting there looking into the carcass. “Daemon? Oh for fracks sake.” She sighed and reached in and felt about. It was not like she was a xenos biologist after all. Squeezing parts, she just hoped to find the one that pushed out water.
That was when she felt it. The strange hard feeling of metal making her shift and grip onto it. Tugging she felt it slowly pull out and with a loud slurch a rusted and rotten sword slowly pulled out of the gore. It was rusted and rotted throughout its blade, but it had an unnatural feel about it.
A green glow flowed out of her arm. Flowing through to the sword, as if it was feeding off her. Giving a startle, she threw it watching it fly off and land in the sand several meters away. Looking over her arm, she saw that the green lines flowing through her shackle before dimming and going out.
+I see the sword has chosen you.+
Sharue’s eye twitched as the voice came back to life in her head. “Never mind that thing I need to know what organ to take.”
+The red one.”
"They are all red!" She roared out in frustration, throwing a chunk of the monster. Heaving,, she stood on it before realizing that she was losing herself.
It was doing this on purpose. The da wanted her to become emotional. Forcing her frustration down, she looked at the monster. "Which….red….one.” The words coming out slow and spaced before she knelt back down to fish about in the mess.
After a bit, she found the gland and tore it out of the body looking at it. A constant drool of water coming out of the fleshy organ. When squeezed, it produced more, and while she was curious at how it could possibly do this, she also knew that laws of reality did not apply to anything here.
Hopping down and trying to walk away, she found her self suddenly tripping on something. Landing with an oft! She discovered her foot hooked in that swords handle. It almost seemed to pulse, and when she touched it, she felt just a welling rage that just flowed through her in waves. Looking to where she had thought she had thrown in then back to it only to blink and see that it was in her paw instead of on her foot.
“What the frack?!” She said in a startled way chucking the rotted metal away. +I find this…how do you mortals say it. Ironic?+
"What do you mean?" Sharue snapped out, shaking her paw as if she could shake off the feeling of the sword.
+That sword is called Blood of the oppressed. It is not of my making, and it and I are opposites. The deity that owns that sword loathes psykers, and yet it senses in you something that draws it to you.+
“What deity?”
+That is unimportant. Just know that you will not be rid of it. We are sadly stuck with it until it finds a new…host.+
It was odd to hear the irritation in the daemon's voice as she looked over the rotted sword. "Blood of the oppressed?" The name sent a shiver down her as she suddenly hefted it into the sands only to find it hanging off a rope of her cloak.
“Should I be worried?”
+Very.+
Lowering his optics, the mutant watched as the strange furry creature talked to itself and chucked some sort of sword about. Its master or better yet mistress had a great interest in this one. While the changer of ways held sway over this planet, it did not hold dominion over all of its inhabitants.
Lugran had to admit that whatever this individual was, did make it valuable. After its display of power with the Turattha, he knew that she was the one that his master wanted. Lifting an ancient device, he reported in.
"She lives." Was all he said before getting back "Good my pet. Follow her and wait for the right time. The game will start soon. We can't let the changer of ways have all the fun now can we?”
"No, my mistress." His master held no gender name, thus could change between addresses without issue.
“Lugran, you do well, and I will reward you with the kiss."
The male was no longer identifiable as any specific race. He was not mutated like those of the changer of ways but simply nulled to the point of being an almost genderless figure that held no loyalties to any prescribed race or nationality. His skin was pure white, almost as if carved out of marble and his face expressionless and blank.
The mention of the kiss made his body quiver with need though, as he let out a shudder. "Yes, my king, it will be so."
“Good Lugran, be blessed, and may the sensation of the hunt flow through you."
With that, he put the device up and reached up with his hands to rub over his bald head. The tingling feeling ran along his scalp before running down his body, forcing his eyes to roll up and his mouth to drop open. Then it was gone… a fleeting taste of the kiss which forced him to fight down a roar of frustration. To be allowed a sweet taste and then stole away.
For now, he would fallow this creature, and with that, he would have his prize.
Issa panted as she sat up, putting her paws above her head to grip a bar that was above her bed. The collie was rolling her hips, allowing Van's cock to work about in her body. She would switch from slow rolls to firm thrusts to a slow bounce.
"Now, this is something that I missed." She hissed out, bearing her teeth trying to keep herself edged right to the brink of climax only to slow down.
"Glad to hear that mistress," Van said, trying his best not to get off as well. Issa hated it when he got off and went limp spoiling her fun.
Issa kept her facial expressions the same as they were, but inwardly, she did not like this new change in Van. Ever since she recovered him from Endless Night, he was different. His usual cockiness was gone, and he was more, compliant. Which grated her almost like a sulking brat trying to tell his parents that he was upset at them but still doing what they wished.
Squeezing her abs and thighs, she pulled up before shoving her hips back down into his lap. Half in frustration half in need. She was about to say something. Van just laid there, looking at her, but not looking at her at the same time.
That was when a beep from her halo vox unit went off, making her twist back to look at it. The flashing light was red meaning high priority, sighing she got up letting Van's member slide out of her and walk over punching the activation stud. She was annoyed but was surprised when the face of Lord Brickwall came up.
“Inquisitor Shadowbane. Did I interrupt something?”
Issa decided to just own it as she put her paws on her hips and give a glower. She was nude and was not shy about it, not even to a Lord. “No Lord Brickwall, simply trying to relax is all. You're in the system?" While she might be ok with showing off and showing that she was confident in talking with him, she was not stupid enough to be rude or prudent in thinking that she could address him in anything but a respectful tone.
“I am, I’m with a fleet gathering to deal with the appearance of the world engine. I want a report about what happened.”
A report had been sent via astropath, but she somehow knew that Lord Brickwall would want to have a report given directly.
“Aye sir,” The collie putting her paws behind her back and gave a stern look. “The original plan of controlling her possession was interrupted by the appearance of Jak’irin and his heretical world engine. After he shot down the Endless Night, I lost the target to the ground forces."
“And do we know if she even survived the impact?” Lord Brickwall’s tone was flat, but there was an underlining danger laced in with it.
“Yes sir,” Issa leaned over to hit a command on her console and the footage Jak’irin sent over to her showing the fox on the ground being loaded up in the cage. She also had her own surveillance footage showing her escape from the cage. “I have been tracking her as best as we can. The world engine has been blocking us from getting to the ground at this time.”
“Why did that heretic give you any footage at all? Did you scan it for any corrupted scape code?”
That had come across her mind that Jak’irin could be trying to slip something, but it had been cleared. She needed to keep her past from Lord Brickwall as well. Her history with Jak’irin stretching back to the Crucible.
“One can not tell with a heretical mind, my Lord. He simply may have wanted to brag. I do not know why he is here or why he specifically targeted this operation, but I am planning on getting the asset back."
Brickwall finally let his temper show as he leaned forward. “You had better. I gave you the vote you needed to turn this council in your favor as well as gave the info to Banal to get him off your trail for now. I will be in the operations section of the system in a few weeks to start prepping for a battle that is bringing a lot of eyes your way. There is a lot of questions as to why we were here to begin with.”
“I understand Lord. I, above everyone else, want this to succeed. I need to have this succeed; otherwise, my master's work was for nothing. Everything we did to make this come into reality is gone, and I will not let that happen." Some passion was creeping into her tone as her face became stern. "I will ensure that this is fixed and the asset is recovered. We need her to become possessed then we need to exorcise the daemon from her, and she will become one of the strongest weapons the inquisition will ever have. We will control her by making her think we are the ones that saved her and gaining her gratitude.”
"That is another concern between the other lords and me that support you. We want assurance that she can be controlled." Lord Brickwall playing back the image of her using her powers. "If this is just a small amount of her ability, then we're talking about someone that could easily turn a damn Titan inside out.”
Issa let her frustration go, allowing a confident smile cross her muzzle. "My lord, if she reaches her potential, she could turn a world inside out. As to control her, when the navy installed the interface neural for her coms training, I had them install a kill switch in the neural. If she gets out of control, we can eliminate the asset.” That last part was a lie. It had been part of the plan but only after they had recovered her from the Endless Night. For now, though she needed to reassure the council that she had this under control.
Lord Brickwall looked doubtful at the comment about turning a world inside out. "I will believe that when I see it, Inquisitor. We will keep that speculation to our selves for now. Something that strong would be enough to put the fear of the emperor in the other council members and they may side with the puritans in just killing her. Why is she not using her full potential?”
That last question had an answer. "She is fighting it. That and she is still an emergent, and her powers have not fully manifested. That is why we needed the possession to help widen that valve as the never born would give her full access to it. Also, once she exorcised the daemon, then demonic possession afterward is almost impossible."
A scowl came from the Lord as he leaned in on the halo viewer crossing his hands. "Almost is not for sure Issa." He said dangerously. "You treed a very fine line between a radical and a heretic. The council will not hesitate in labeling you one if this project does not bear fruit.”
Issa gritted her teeth as she shifted “It will my lord. I made her, I will make sure that she falls in line.”
"You had better. I will see you personally when I get into combat theater to get a more in-depth report. Till then do what you can to get her back on track." And with that, the halo went dark. Issa let her forced expression to fall away as a frown crossed her muzzle.
"Deep breath," she muttered to herself. "damn you, Jak’irin…." She then turned to look at Van. The male was watching, and she hemmed, letting a fake smile spread across her muzzle. "I probably shouldn't have let you hear that…" She said, walking over, swaying her hips as the dog kept a neutral look on his face. Crawling up on the bed, she straddled him again jerking him down under her. Her paws resting about his neck as he only said. "Trouble in paradise?"
"That's the Van I know and love." She said, letting her eye twitch before slowly starting to squeeze neck till he began to gag and struggle under her a bit. "Dun worry, I won't kill you, but I really need to relax."
Risia was still making her way through the underbelly of the factorium. It had been a while since she had any contact with Sanction, but that was to be expected so close to the corruption. Tamara had settled down, and it seemed that her PDF training had started to come back to her. The husky keeping her shoulder up under her arm and helping Risia along as best as they could.
"Let's stop here," Risia grunted and nodded to a corner of the tunnel that was clear. She knew that they must be moving away from the heart of the factory as the corruption had gotten less. There were still tendrils, but they were no longer thick nor as prevalent as they had been.
Another reason she had to stop was she need to come up with a plan. Risia had to admit she sort of went into this halfcocked. She hoped that she got the location to Banal, but now that was over, now what should she do? She supposed the first thing would be was to get in contact with them again and find out the status. That might be hard in this maze though.
Tamara helped her down, and the pair sat for a few long moments in silence. Risia also wanted to do something that made a difference, something that would make Banal proud of her though she was unsure if he could feel proud of anyone. After all the inquisition expected you to give your all in everything and anything less was unacceptable. Though the nature of things did have her wanting to make up for coming off as weak. At the very least, she wanted to do something that rid her of that feeling. It was no longer if someone else thought that of her, it was herself that felt it and she wanted to be free of it.
It was a disgrace in her eyes at her weakness, and she wanted it gone! The scowl on her face must have drawn the attention of Tamara as she frowned too. "Something wrong?"
Shaking her head, Risia sighed. "No, I am just trying to figure out how we can fight this abyssal hell with what we have." A look of surprise came over the husky's face as she blinked. "You still want to fight this?" She asked, pointing at the corruption.
"If the inquisition doesn't, then who will? Banal will not allow this nightmare to spread, so there has to be something I can do to help him."
Tamara looked about not knowing what to say to that. What could they do after all? The two of them were rather small in the grand scheme of things.
“Wish we had a cog head with us. I bet they would know what to do to this place.”
Risia paused at that and then hemmed. Maybe she didn’t need to fight the chaos directly. “We might not need one.”
Tamara gave a confused look before Risia patted her shoulder, indicating she wanted to stand back up. "We don't need to operate the factory," Risia said while getting up and gave a somewhat sadistic grin. “We just need to prod the machine spirit some and see where that takes us.”
A doubtful look fell on the husky, but it was a better plan than just wandering aimlessly through the service tunnels. "If Solorin is right, I can piss off anyone, or in this case anything.”
Banal was still looking down on the hell that the heretics were creating. The gate glaring out into the real world like an opening wound, fed by the thousands of souls being crushed by its massive stones. “How are we going to stop this?” Solorin was the first to ask.
Inquisitors wielded power, a power that could see whole worlds burn but in the same note, the individual was just that, an individual.
“We find the sorcerer performing the ritual and kill it.”
Solorin shrugged a bit. "Sounds straight to the point. Simple and easy to follow." His words earned a look from Banal as they were laced with a bit of sarcasm he felt, but that was Solorin.
“The caster and whoever else is helping him should be close to the portal. We find them, and we kill them and hope that this whole thing implodes on itself."
Another look from Solorin. Banal glared a bit before adding. “What?”
“Hope? Not like you to hope for the best.”
The barb was not laced with the usual sarcasm, which was what made Banal stop and think about it all the more. It was true that puritans are set in their ways and believe that the power of the emperor was on their side. That all things would go their way if their belief was strong enough. It made his good eye twitch a bit as he realized what Solorin was getting at but at the same time he had been doing this job for far too long to feed into the fanatical propaganda that the youth were fed.
He didn’t know what was more alarming though, his choice of words or the sour taste he felt at the thought of what he was taught. It angered him that Solorin would question something like that, his faith in the emperor and what he was doing was ironclad, but he knew that he was still a mortal. If he failed, here, others would simply take over.
It still brought up a change in him that he had been ignoring for some time. His feelings for Risia, his belief in the inquisition, as well as what he could actually accomplish in his life span. Right now, he needed to focus on this, as well as finishing what his master had started. That is something he would not deviate from nor admit defeat. If the cult of change is trying to use Sharue to bring back their god, then he would stop them one way or another.
“Keep your mind on task Solroin.” Was all he could say forcing the space marine to shrug and fall in line so to say.
“We find the sorcerer and kill them before they finish the portal.” He looked to Sanction. “Can you locate them?”
“Not without being detected, my lord. If I were to reach out then whoever it is doing this would know someone was looking and then impede us. I would suggest only do so when closer to the gate."
Taking in the advice another question formed on Banal’s lips. “Can you survive being so close to that thing?” Sanction gave it some thought before shaking his head. “Not for long, but you will need me if you are dealing with a sorcerer of this magnitude.”
Something Banal respected, Sanction was loyal and knew that if his life was needed to complete the task, he would give it. He hoped that it would not come to that. As much as he disliked psykers, it would be a waste to lose Sanction. If only there were a way to have dealt with Sharue in a way…. He stopped his train of thought right there as he realized that was the path Issa was heading down.
“Emperor protects.”
Banal looked to Solorin before nodding having the wolf take the lead. They would have to work quickly if they were to do anything about this without alerting their prey. Killing the witch should buy them enough time to get out and then strike it from orbit.
The factorium floor was a few kilometers across, a maze of pipes, catwalks and other long forgot machinery that lined its floor with its now unholy life. There was an army operating this facility, but it was so massive that gaps in its defense allowed the group to slip through. Sanction helped guide them from the prying eyes of those like him while Solorin had to be more creative in his killing. Banal had to admit that he never thought a cultist could be folded up in such a way and made to look like part of the machinery.
The closer they got to the gate, the tighter the defenses got around the gate. That was when the first chaos space marine was spotted. The lone figure having a vibro whip, flogging a horde of mutants roaring his orders out to the slaves as he moved them from one area of the factorium to the other. It was at this point the group paused, and Banal had to re-evaluate things. He had been hopeful that he could get closer before starting his assault.
“Getting tight in here.” Solorin muttered quietly after the chaos space marine had taken his charges to where ever they were going.
“Agreed.” This was a choice that he had to make. The likely hood of them coming out of this alive was getting slimmer with each step toward that gate they took. If they managed to achieve this, getting out of it alive would be a miracle.
That meant that he had to make a choice, he could go against orders and leave this to others to deal with this, that meant going against Lord Brickwall’s orders as well as leaving this world to be possibly doomed as well as leaving Risia, or stay and perhaps sacrifice himself to prevent a horrible thing from being born into this world.
While he was no coward, he also didn’t want to sell his life short. Stop a daemon here, or live on to stop a daemon else ware.
Now that they were closer to the gate, he could get a better look at it. The massive stone structure raised up high into the factorium to the point where the smoke and haze of heat blurred the top of it making it hard to see. The sight was horrible all around, gore oozed down its black stone face, and piles of the dead rose up along its base as if crawling out of the carnage that made up the gates foundation. The gore was so thick around its base that Banal wagered that they would have to wade through it up to their chest just to get to the gate itself.
He doubted that the sorcerer was in that mess, though. Another pile of people was being poured onto the demonic construction as the defining sound of creaking chains and roaring motors slowly brought in the next massive stone.
When their screams were cut short by the clap of stone meeting stone, Banal looked back at Sanction. The psyker stood firmly, but the actions were taking a toll on him. Blood seeped from his eyes and ears. A look at his face showed it white as bone.
This was no time to second guess himself. He was not giving up on his pursuit of his master's goal, but Banal could not just ignore things like this to achieve it. With the emperors will he would stop this and continue on his way. If not, then he would join his side, and someone else will pick up his mantel. He made sure to push all thoughts aside that were not obtaining the goal at hand, even Risia as it would be selfish to put his feelings for her before the thousands dying in front of him.
Without a word, he continued on. Solorin falling in without a word as the three made their way closer to the gate.
A tap came to his shoulder, forcing Banal to pause and look back. Sanction was pointing up to a large platform attached to the side of the factorium. Foul light radiated from the platform. It was an assumption, but it fit what they were looking for. It was higher up, but a path along some of the large pipes would put them over the path. "If I can sense them, there is a chance they can sense us." Sanction warned.
Banal had to agree but hoped they would be too busy with their ritual to notice them. When the group got onto the piping above the platform, Banal paused to look about. He still had to secure an egress route.
The route out was not so apparent as his eyes scanned the pipes and flooring. The massive factory was continually moving, but if he could continue up, there had to be something useful. That would be something he would have to worry about after his task at hand was done. Turning his eyes to the site below filled him with a sickening feeling. A chaos space marine was at the center of the ritual holding up one of the cultists by her neck. His power claw hooking along her collar bone and ripping downwards, tearing her ribcage open and eviscerating her form till it was a mangled form of blood gore and sinew.
The cultist had allowed this to happen without a word or scream of pain. Her body laid out along with others that had painful writing written about them. The corps placed in a horrifying arrangement that could be considered morbid art.
The next cultist came up, removing his robes and dropping to his knees in front of the towering marine. It was now or never, they had to stop the ritual before it got to far.
“Do it.”
That was all Solorin needed as now was not the time to be subtle, there was no way he could take on a space marine pysker with something as simple as a combat blade. Even with surprise, the chance of doing this cleanly was low. The sound of the machines would help muffle even bolter fire though. Raising up his bolter Solorin took aim and started with the cultist and worked his way up. The massive reactive bolter rounds plunged into the soft body of the cultist before detonating sending parts of the heretic flaying about. The confusion allowed him to walk his aim up into the chaos marine and even get a few rounds in blowing out large parts of his ceramic armor before the psyker brought up his Kine Shield.
“Grenade.”
Solorin was busy laying down fire allowing Sanction to pull out a grenade to hand to Banal. “Sanction.” The psyker nodded and came forward putting out his hand to release his own psykic might into the fight. It did help as the marine’s kine shield wavered allowing a few more bolter rounds to plunge into the corrupted armor of the psyker. Several of Solorins rounds were still suspended in mid-air as the chaos marine found his footing and raised his own bolter opening fire in a roar of anger. The combined might of Solorin and Sanction kept the marine from putting down accurate fire. That didn’t mean though that it was ineffective as thick holes exploded out of the plascreet all about them forcing Sanction to fall back and tumble along the pipe losing his footing.
By then though Banal had already tossed the Grenade into the orientation of bodies. The device going off with a clap sending the display flying only to have them freeze in mid-air and slowly swirl about a rising pillar of purple and green smoke.
Another explosion sounded out sending even Solorin to his back as the gate flared alive. The group scattered and in disarray as the chaos marine made his way up to them seeming to be unaffected by the explosion.
Groaning Banal tried to right himself as the corrupted monster was charging for him. He simply shoved Solorin with his armored foot off the pipe sending the grey armored marine tumbling and bouncing off the infrastructure below.
“Nice try mortal!” He roared. This marine was human, all chaos marines were as the Horus heresy happened well before the merger of the anthros and ab human. There were some rare cases where a space marine chapter had gone rouge that had some anthros in it, but from the shape and style of this marine's armor, he was from the time before the heresy.
"You are too late." His massive gauntlet reached down to grab Banal by his arm and haul him up. The crushing force made him scream out in pain. "The gate still opened even with your attempt to stop it." The marine's free hand reaching up to flick over an Inquisitorial seal. "You must be the inquisitor I have heard about leading the resistance in the wastes. It will be good to get rid of a pest such as yourself." Banal was still reeling from the activation of the portal. What made things worse was the grip on his arm from the chaos marine.
Banal wasn't done yet, though he had not lived this long without a few tricks to rely upon. Giving the heretic a glare Banal sent a mind pulse to his augmentations on the side of his face. A device came to life discharging a hotshot power pack sending a laz round into the front of the marine. It was a one-use weapon, and the range was not vast, but it managed to blow out a good chunk of the marine's face forcing him to let go of his arm.
The marine roared in rage wildly swinging about before sending out lightning from his body in random directions. The eldritch like bolts slagging anything they came into contact with narrowly missing Banal by centimeters as it scored along the ground and piping.
His arm had to be broken through. The pain shooting through it forcing Banal to stumble back and move out of the way of the lightning and the marine's rage. Though it did give him time to pull out his bolt pistol and send half a dozen rounds towards the marine. His augmented arm still functioning though this time the Marine was not letting anything through. The crackle of the Kine shield freezing the shots in mid-air as they detonated.
“You’re a hard one to kill, aren't you?" The words were not from the chaos marine, which forced the sorcerer to look back and then down. Solorin had climbed back up and grabbed onto the Marine's armored boot, and with a yank sent the roaring marine tumbling down to the platforms below. "Your turn."
Banal sighed a breath of relief, he was under no illusion that the fall would kill the marine, but at least it gave them time to regroup. "Same could be said about you Solorin.”
The wolf climbed up and looked back at where the sorcerer had tumbled. “That won't stall him for long. That bastard made me lose my bolter.” He still had his bolt pistol and chain sword though which was enough. “Where is Sanction?”
+I am down below you near the ritual+
The pair moved to the edge to find the psyker clinging to a massive chain that was connected to the platform that now sported a purple haze of lightning, mist, and gore. All of which was powering up the gate.
Reality seemed to warp and twist around the gate. Faces started to push out of the stone as the souls of the damned strained to break out into reality. The massive portal itself flickered showing landscapes of places that should not exist.
+The gate has not yet fully formed my lord. I will attempt to slow it.+
+Very well Sanction. Do what you can.+
Banal knew that it was hazardous for Sanction to even be this close to such corruption. It was a risk that they had to take due to the group running out of options. By now, others had to of noticed the commotion.
"Ave, Impetitor.”
The ritual flared to life with a golden glow as Sanction attempted to slow, if not stop, the ritual. His robes fluttered and slapped about him as Banal looked about for options.
“Can you destroy the platform?”
“I will try, you ok?”
Banal looked to his mangled arm and nodded. "I will live, do what you can to assist Sanction." The giant wolf nodded before hopping down as this was the priority for now until the heretics regrouped and came back. Thankfully chaos was not the most organized organization. It did not mean they were not dangerous, though. Banal was also hesitant to allow his augments to push drugs into his system. He did not want to dull his senses just yet, so he allowed only stimulants to flow into his system, leaving out any of the pain blockers.
His augmented eye was scanning the lower sections keeping watch for the sorcerer. He could make out dozens of possible targets, but so far the marine had not made his comeback. Most were making their way up a catwalk and would take probably several minutes to reach them. Others were trying different paths in hope to cut any escape rout off.
“We only have about eight minutes before we have to deal with more heretics." A simple click-click coming from Solorin letting Banal know that he had received the information. The marine was looking for anything that he could destroy to bring down the platform. Banal had wished he would have brought melta charges.
That was when the sorcerer made his appearance. The air around Sanction warped and with a clap of air pressure the marine stormed through the rift ramming the Psyker off the chain sending him tumbling onto the platform.
“It is too late!” He roared though half of his face was a hanging mess of skin and flesh. Banal felt like he might be right. A sizeable clawed hand had been pushing out of the gate, stretching reality as a finger tore through the veil and into real space. Screams of panic came from heretics as a wave of pandemonium flooded the factorium.
Banal could feel it but could fight the rising feeling of panic and hysteria. Daemons had that effect on mortals, most could go insane just by seeing one. It did help a little bit as the reinforcements that were on their way started to panic and run.
Solorin had turned to deal with the sorcerer as he pulled his chain sword off his back and charged the marine. Arcs of lightning struck out at the wolf striking his chain sword and pauldron twisting him but not stopping him as he slammed into the sorcerer, saving Sanction from whatever fate the marine had for him.
+Sanction! Can you do anything?!+
+I am afraid not my lord.+ pain laced his thoughts forcing Banal to look elsewhere.
That’s when the explosion sounded out. The celling of the factorium heaved and bubbled before sending a massive amount of rubble tumbling down into the factorium along with massive pillars of metal and machine.
Tamara watched, her eyes wide as the explosion sent out massive amounts of rubble. "I think that did something!" Several dead heretics laid about the room as Risia was pointing to things. "Well, let's not stop! Is any of it going to hit the gate?"
The husky watched as she nodded, "Some will." She was holding a melta that they had scavenged off of a mutated stoat. Having maxed out as many of the dials and controls as they could, Risia had the husky hit several wires and pipes in an attempt to ‘poke the machine spirit.’ As she had said. They had been lucky to find a room that had looked rather important. A sign had signaled a warning of caution which made Risia even more inclined to do whatever she could in there to cause issues.
With her bad leg, she had to rely on Tamara to do the manual labor, but the husky was quite adept at using that melta. If they were going to go out, they would go out fighting at least. When the pandemonium kicked in though she had to fight to keep Tamara on track. Even though the husky could not see the gate entirely. The wave of hysteria was affecting her even this far away from the gate.
“We need to find anything that has a reactor symbol on it.” The husky simply nodded and kept looking as smaller secondary explosions sounded off.
+Risia?+
Sanctions thoughts made her jump as she focused +Yes sanction, where are you?+
+Near the gate.+
Risia knew something was wrong as the feeling of pain washed through with his thoughts. +Was the explosion your doing?+
+I would like to think so. We have been trying our best to do something to slow them. What is going on with you?+
Sanction filled Risia in quickly by sending her a pulse of images and thoughts, it hurt Risia’s head to get so much so quickly, but time was in short supply.
+I got it, I will finish up here and try to make my way to you. Stay alive Sanction.+
+Ave Impetitor.+
"Ok, we need to finish up here and get to Banal and the group!" Risia yelled over the blaring sounds of clox sirens and other warnings. Tamara had been hitting just about everything she could hoping that something would trigger even more damage. Tamara was a bit hysterical smashing a bar on a console but was sound enough to nod to Risia. “Come on, keep it together a bit longer. If we can get out of here and meet up with Banal, we're safe."
The husky gave another console one last smack before tossing the bar away and helping Risia up. Sparks and small fires had broken out in the room, filling it with a noxious smell. Risia was sure that the factorium wouldn't go critical, the cog heads would have too many safety precautions in place, but if she could get a few more explosions or machines breaking that would be good enough for her.
+Risia is alive and making her way to us.+
Banal made a sigh of relief even as he was ducking undercover as thick rocks and rebar that was falling from the ceiling. The sorcerer was still tangled up with Solorin but was roaring his rage. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" A massive pillar had tipped and landed on the gate, forcing one of the stones off-kilter a bit as reality fought to reclaim the space the daemon had stolen. The colors had shifted from purple to a pungent brown and sickly green.
+Keep her in the loop Sanction, I have a feeling we need to get out of here quick.+
As he thought that a massive groan came from the pillar slipping and scraping along the gate, deforming it even more as a burst of heavy laughter filled the factorium.
The sorcerer stopped and turned screaming. “NO!” giving Solorin time to strike true sending his chain sword deep into the traitor's gorget sending gore flying about. The marine yanked away stumbling and holding his wound. “You have no idea what you have done!” he coughed out before reality warped about him and was simply gone.
The gate changed color mixing in even more sickly hues of brown and green. As they watched, a large, bloated hand reached out to grab the clawed hand, grabbing it and pulling it back in. "It is my time."
The voice was a gurgle of fluid, and the foul stench of decay was the first thing to come to the senses. A roar of anger came from one daemon as another sought to push it out of the way. Whatever they had done to the ritual had given this new monstrosity an opening to come out into reality. They had not stopped it, simply changed it. The rotting horned face of the daemon started to push out as its bloated putrid form broke into reality. It stood as tall as a titan as its bloated fingers curled around the lip of the gate pulling its self out into reality with a laugh of joy.
Bloat flys poured from the gate first, sending out into the factorium in the thousands if not millions followed by a river of pus and fluids that forced even Solorin to gag. The heretics that were still in the factorium’s lower levels simply started to rot and fall apart as a gas raced past the first two and began to fill the lower areas of the machines and service tunnels. Even iron and steel rotted and festered from its touch as nothing was spared.
+Sanction, warn Risia of this and have her meet us farther up in the factorium, we will have to deal with this in other ways.+ There was no way that his group could take on a greater daemon with what they had.
+Understood.+
“I am free!” the daemon’s roar echoed the chamber as its first massive bloated foot steeped onto the factoriums floor. Its bloated belly swinging in allowing for its entrails to drag along after it. In a way, though, this would give Banal a chance to get his crew out. Solorin had already grabbed up Sanction and was making his way up. They would have to keep going up and hope that they would not draw the attention of the beast. The flys themselves would be the most dangerous as the bloat fly flew in massive swarms covering heretics and infecting them with not only contingents but laying maggots in their bloating flesh. Screams mixed in with the deep base of laughter from the daemon forcing Banal to look away as soon this place would be nothing but hell.
Daemons always fought for power within the warp. Their only goal in their great game was to give their dark god more influence and power. Sometimes even daemons of the same dark god would fight for the right to be noticed more. Though this one it seemed the great unclean one decided to make its move on the changer of ways. The two always at odds as one represented decay and stagnation the other change and mutation.
"I am here to take your pain away! Join me in the glory of decay!" The voice rumbled out, shaking the very walls as the daemon fully stepped through. It wielded a massive sword that was rotted and looked more like a rusted rod than a sword. Though whatever it touched became nothing but rot and decay.
To Banal’s horror, though when he looked over his shoulder, he saw the daemon looking right at his group. Even his will was no match for something like that as he felt fear wrack his body. Doubling down, he climbed faster fallowing Solorin as they made their way up the ladder. Even though Banal felt the fear, he still had the mind to stay focused and move.
Eventually, though they found a passage that allowed them to head out of the factorium and start their way up into the upper service tunnels and hab blocks.
Solorin was the first to turn to face approaching figures, but Sanction put his hand up. The human coughing out, "It's Risia.”
The puma was still being helped by the husky as they came out of a hab block. The look of relief on Risia’s face was plain as day as they came over. "Thank the Emperor." She said having Tamara put her down next to the group.
"Well, that had to of taken at least six of your nine lives Risia," Solorin said though he was tense and still looking about for anything that could threaten them. Even putting a few bolter rounds into some heretics that had used their same escape route. He still had his bolt pistol after all.
Tamara was in aw of seeing Solorin. The PDF having never seen the famed space marines before and was staying quiet for the most part.
“It’s good to see that you survived Risia." The puma stiffed up and tried to give a bow. "Thank you, Master."
“We should keep going, I do not know how long until that monster breaks free of the factorium. We have to warn the fleet before it can become to embedded into Histon 8 and we lose the whole world to it.” Banal would save his feelings for later as things were still not over yet.
“Banal.”
Confusion came from Banal’s face as that voice was Sanctions, but he never called him by his first name. The human turning to look at his psyker only to pull his bolt pistol out quickly about ready to pull the trigger. The psyker putting up a kine shield as the round stopped short of Sanctions now puss-filled blistered face.
“I know that name. Banal…..Henderson.”
This was no longer Sanction talking, and Banal knew it. Solorin knew it too as he was already swinging his chain sword only to be frozen in time hovering off the ground in mid-leap.
“I have to thank you and your people for helping me.”
“You’re the daemon….”
"Daemon is a word you apply to us for we have no name. We are simply what we are, but it was known that you would help my birth into your reality Banal Henderson, I do not wish to fight you. You have much more use to us in the great game, and we cannot impede that.
That was not something Banal wanted to hear. A green fire glowed from Sanctions eyes and mouth as flies buzzed about his form.
“Then let us go foul thing.” Banal seethed out.
“I will but first.” Suddenly reality stopped for everyone but Banal. The horror on Tamara’s face, the anger on Risias even Solorins body, it was all stuck in that grain of time as the daemon burnt Sanction out. Normally the great unclean one would not be so psykicly inclined, but then again, the ways of the warp were never predictable.
“I have a deal to make you Banal Henderson…”
Banal stood on the cutter as it raised up from the hive city. A frown crossing his face as his crew were all sitting, or laying having just finished their frantic escape from that hell. The daemon's words were still fresh in his mind.
“So you going to say what happened?”
Risia’s voice brought him out of his thoughts, and he turned to look at her. "About Sanction?" The feline nodded, looking concerned. When she had come out of whatever had happened, Banal had already killed Sanction. The massive hole in the psykers head and a smoking bolter all that Risia needed to see to know that Banal had killed him.
“He had become corrupted and thus had to be killed.”
He left out how when the daemon had left him, Sanction had asked him to kill him. The fluid burbling up out of his lips and how the daemon had left him burnt out, the puss and sores still covering his body. It was a mercy for the poor soul.
"Yes, but what happened?"
Banal gave Risia a look, it was unlike Risia to push the subject. He supposed that he was not the only one changing. The look was all that Risia needed to back off. She was still obedient and knew what the look meant.
"Some things are better left alone, Risia.”
"Yes, Master."
Then Banal did something that the feline was not expecting. He pulled her into a one-armed hug. Tightly holding onto her as his chin resting on top of her head. While he didn’t say anything, she could feel him clenching and unclenching his jaw. Slowly she raised up her arms and returned the hug. The pair just staying that way for a good bit.
Solorin was resting out on the floor one eye half cracked open watching. While he was happy to see his friend open up some the memories of what had happened still plagued his mind. Unlike the others, he was well aware of what was going on and had heard everything. His eye going to Banal as he was sure the Inquisitor was unaware that he had not been affected by the psykic power.
For now, the group needed to rest. Everyone was hurt in some way, and they still had to deal with Tamara as well. If Banal refused her into the group, then that was as good as a death sentence to the husky. It would be a shame to see such a loyal citizen be cut down for the simple fact of knowing too much. Crossing his paws across his chest, Solorin closed his eye and rested for now. He would approach Banal later to confront him on what had happened. Though he would do this when they had the privacy to talk about such issues.
End Chapter 3 Book 2 Hell Gate.
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Posted by DarkPinkie 4 years ago Report
Comment based on picture alone:
Sigh, did somebody say they where joining chaos again?