by William King
He could sense the Chaos Marine’s chagrin at this unexpected resistance. His lips twisted into a wolfish grin as he hammered another blow down. This one made it past Madok’s guard and sheered one of the leering daemon heads from his armour. For a moment Ragnar thought he had struck flesh but then he saw that some sort of red-hot liquid metal was pouring forth. It bubbled like magma then evaporated into a silverish poisonous cloud. Hastily Ragnar stepped back, knowing instinctively that to breathe the foul stuff meant death. He knew that such was the magic surrounding the Chaos Marine that not even his own body’s superhuman ability to adapt to poison would be good enough to save him.
“A good blow,” Madok said sardonically. Suddenly and unexpectedly he lashed out with his boot. It caught Ragnar in the groin, and he felt the codpiece of his armour crumple under the sledgehammer force of the impact. The sheer power of the blow sent him tumbling through the air to sprawl headlong on the stonework next to the recumbent form of Strybjorn.
Ragnar let the momentum of his fall carry him, and he rolled backwards, got his feet beneath him and sprang upright. Pain surged through him from the area of his groin. He felt barely able to stand upright and he shook his head in a desperate effort to clear his senses. While he had been tumbling Madok had closed the ground between them with appalling speed. His howling runesword was held high, ready for the final stroke.
At that moment, Ragnar felt a mind-numbing weakness spread through him. He knew he did not have the strength to stop the killing blow, and that his life was surely over. All Ragnar could do was watch the Chaos Marine come ever closer. He was fascinated by the glowing runes and the wailing song of his deadly blade. He knew that in mere moments, he would feel its chilly bite, and if what the heretic had said was true, he would feel his soul sucked from his still-living frame.
As Madok strode past Strybjorn’s mangled form, the Grimskull’s eyes came open. With a gasp of effort and willpower, he reached out with his one good arm, and with the last of his strength grabbed the Chaos Marine’s ankle, pulling him off-balance. Not expecting an attack from this quarter, Madok started to tumble and fall. Instinctively, Ragnar raised his chainsword to protect himself from the falling warrior. There was the wail of metal on metal as the rotating blades bit home. Sparks flew as he sliced through the hellmetal of Madok’s armour. Ragnar just had time to roll clear as the poisonous gas spurted forth and Madok hit the ground, driving the whirring, chewing blades still deeper into his chest until it passed all the way through his torso and emerged from his back. A great, roiling geyser of foul smoke erupted towards the ceiling and slowly dispersed, as a long wail of aeons of despair assaulted Ragnar’s senses.
Madok’s helmet rolled clear from the chest plate of his armour, and Ragnar could see that it was as empty, as if no one had been wearing it. Perhaps that was the case, he thought. Perhaps the physical form of the Chaos Marine had faded long ago, leaving his armour animated only by some foul residue, or the vile essence of his evil soul.
Briefly, Ragnar stood panting heavily in the cave. Pain wracked his body. He felt no sense of triumph right at that moment, though he knew he should have. Between them, he and Strybjorn had overcome one of the most powerful foes a Space Marine could face. Against all odds, they had won. Yes, Ragnar thought, more by luck than skill. That, and their enemy’s overconfidence. Under the circumstances, Ragnar was happy with a victory whatever the reasons. It was the best that could be hoped for.
Ragnar reached down and drew his blade from the recumbent form of his enemy. He picked up Strybjorn’s fallen pistol and stuck it in his holster. He bent down and hoisted the body of the Grimskull onto his shoulders and then, bracing himself against the weight, began to make his way slowly towards the surface. His damaged armour creaked and groaned under the pressure, and Ragnar reminded himself to personally thank his artificer for tending so carefully to the ages-old suit. It had served him well on his first real mission.
Feeling the heavy weight across his shoulders, Ragnar grinned. That’s three times this day I owe you my life, Strybjorn, he thought. And that is a debt I will repay if it kills me.
Now, though, Ragnar resolved that he could only do that if they both made it alive to the surface. His mouth set in a determined grimace, Ragnar strode off up the tunnel towards the surface once again. He hoped it was not far.
The cool night air hit Ragnar’s face as he emerged from the cave mouth and with it came a strange chemical taint that smelled like oil and naphtha. It took a second for it to register in his pain-soaked mind that he had made it to the surface. It took another second for it to register that the whole area around the cave mouth had been cleared of foliage. It took another split-second for it to register that the muzzles of half a hundred weapons were pointing at him His nostrils flared and he caught the scent of Chapter brethren. Lots of them.
“It is me, Ragnar,” he said, just to make sure that they understood he was not hostile. He felt certain that they had already recognised him, but under the circumstances it was impossible to be too careful. It would be a foolish death to survive the long perilous trek under this daemon mountain, and then be mown down by his own battle-brothers.
Spotlight beams fell on Ragnar, throwing him into brilliant illumination. His altered pupils instantly contracted to compensate for the stark light, but even so for a moment he was blinded. An instant later he felt the touch of powerful minds probing carefully through his thoughts, and he was sure he could sense the presence of the three ancients who had waited so long ago beyond the Gate of Morkai. This time, Ragnar opened his mind to them, wanting to make sure there was not the slightest possibility of a misunderstanding. Ghostly fingers tugged at his thoughts, and he felt that he was recognised and acknowledged.
“It is Brother Ragnar and Brother Strybjorn,” a voice said. “And there is no taint of Chaos upon them. Russ be praised.”
“Step forward, lad, and give Brother Strybjorn into the care of the priests,” said a voice from the gloom. Ragnar recognised it as belonging to Ranek. The searchlight beams winked off and overhead he made out the running lights and ghostly outlines of several Thunderhawk gunships. It seemed that the Chapter had got the warning and responded to it instantly and in great force. Ragnar knew that it was a measure of the seriousness with which they must view the threat of what waited below the mountain.
Mustering his last reserves of strength, Ragnar strode forward towards his battle-brothers, forcing himself to walk proudly upright, despite the pain, his damaged armour and the numbing weight of the Grimskull across his shoulders. Several hurried forward to take Strybjorn from him. He saw they wore the insignia of the healers. One of them looked at him and gestured for him to follow down the slope. He did so, and within a few dozen strides stood at the entrance of a field hospital tent. The healers had already connected their strange devices to Strybjorn’s armour and were beginning to utter the chants of their arcane rituals. Ragnar saw that one of the medics was attaching machinery to him as well.
“How is Strybjorn?” he asked. “Will he live? He saved my life, you know.” The words seemed foolish even as they left his lips but the healer only smiled, showing his fangs.
“And you have most likely saved his by getting him here in time. Now be silent. I must see to you.” The words were a command, but they were gently said and held no rancour, so Ragnar obeyed. He heard the whoosh of air as chemicals were injected into the appropriate vents in his armour, then a click as the panels of his chest plate swung open. In an instant he felt relaxed. He shook his head to clear away the slight blurring of his vision, and then noticed Sven standing in the doorway of the tent.
“So you made it out, brother,” Sven said. “I am glad.”
“It appears you did too, and that you got the message through.”
“Yes, and what a time we had of it. I thought we were never going to get far enough away to be out of the zone of interference. We must have covered a good two leagues or so before I could make contact with the Fang over the
comm-net.”
“Then what happened?”
“Then all hell broke loose. About five minutes after I delivered the message I saw the fire-trails of Thunderhawks in the sky. They swooped low and began firing chemical rockets into the forest. Within another two minutes they had cleared the area around the cave entrance for a thousand strides. A few heartbeats after the alchemical fires subsided the Thunderhawks were on the ground and what looked like every Wolf in the Fang poured out. They’re all here - Ranek, the Librarians, the Iron Priests. There’s a huge monster-machine they call Bjorn the Fell-Handed. They say he’s one of the Ancients, that he walked beside Russ. All the full brothers who were in the meditation cells. A mass of support equipment. It looks like we walked into a real hornet’s nest, and they intend to clear it out good and proper. Me and Nils and Lars just got back from where we put in the word a couple of minutes ago. I thought I’d come and see how you were before we head below the mountain.”
“You’re going back in?”
“Try and stop me! The first squads have already started. They’re laying sealed comm-wires, checking for deadfalls, making sure it’s not a trap and the whole ceiling won’t fall in once we’re all down there. The Thunderhawks are scanning the mountain looking for any other exits. Once we get the all-clear we’re going back down in force to clear the Chaos scum out.”
“We killed one of them,” Ragnar said. “Strybjorn and I. We killed the leader, Madok,”
“So I heard. The Librarians told everyone. The whole Chapter is talking about it. Seems it’s a long time since any Blood Claw won a fight with a full-blown champion of Chaos like Madok. Seems like you performed a mighty deed.”
“We were lucky.”
“Given a choice between a leader who is lucky and a leader who is wise, I’ll take the one who is lucky,” Sven said. “Anyway, don’t say that too loudly or you’ll spoil things for everybody round the camp. It’s the first time since I got to Russvik that anybody round here has treated us as if we mattered.”
“I don’t think that’s true. They always treated us as if we mattered. That’s why they were so hard on us.”
“Whatever. When you get your wounds dealt with come down and join us. Nils has found us something to eat.”
“I am in no way surprised by that,” Ragnar said and smiled. A sense of elation finally filled him. He had come through his baptism of fire without disgracing himself. He knew that soon they would clear out this nest of vipers and avenge their fallen brethren. And Ragnar was looking forward to playing his part in the brutal revenge to come.
EPILOGUE
“Brother Ragnar,” said a cold clear commanding voice. “Brother Ragnar, awake.”
Ragnar’s eyes snapped open. He was suddenly aware of his surroundings, of the cool minty tang of medical incense, of the chill marble feel of the surgical altar beneath his back, of the way his breath congealed into clouds in the cool air. He looked up and saw a lined and scarred face smiling down into his own. The two fangs revealed by the grin told him he was in the presence of his battle-brothers. The pain in his chest warned him he was back among the living.
“I cannot be in hell, Brother Sigard. You are too ugly to be allowed through its gates.”
“And you are too mean to die, Brother Ragnar. Although to tell the truth, it was touch and go there for a while. There was a point when both your hearts stopped, and your spirit wandered free from its body. We thought we had lost you then for sure, but something brought you back. I’m not sure what.”
“I still have business among the living, brother. I have enemies to slay and battles to win. I am not yet ready to die. How goes the war?”
“Well. We have cleared the dropsite, and Imperial forces are moving in to secure the perimeter. We’ve made a good beginning here but the battle will go on. These heretics are tough ones, and rumour has it that the forces of Chaos have reinforced them. Indeed it may be that the Thousand Sons are present once more. There are rumours that Madok has been sighted leading their troops.”
“And there is my unfinished business, brother. Twice I have thought I killed him. Third time will be the charm.”
“I wish you well in your quest, brother. And it may be that your wish will be granted soon, for our enemies are mounting a mighty counter-attack against us.”
“How soon may I leave here?” Ragnar asked.
“In another few days, brother.”
“Not good enough,” Ragnar said, ignoring the pain and lifting himself from the altar. The life-support tubes automatically withdrew from the induction points in his armour. “The Chapter will need every man in this coming conflict.”
“As you wish, Brother Ragnar,” Sigard said.
Ragnar nodded and moved slowly towards the door. From outside he could hear the welcome thunder of battle.
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