Extracts of heresy

Selmir Ikanovic, 12.3.19.

 Extracts of heresy

Story of a Man who reached too far

Somewhere in vast emptiness of land once long time ago known as Mongolia, a lone figure
was slowly walking. There was nothing and nobody for hundreds of miles around, land was
dead and dry, sky cloudless and full of stars. Ancient, long forgotten wars burned every trace
of life from most part of this once with life teaming continent. Everything was dead but for
that lone figure. He was obviously a man, not too big or distinctive in any manner. His
clothes were worn, his back covered in large, black cloak made out of hide of some large,
furry animal. His head was bare and covered in black, greasy hair. For imaginary observer he
would maybe look like a bandit or hermit but there were no observers here.

It seemed that he was walking aimlessly in some vague direction, not even looking where he
was stepping. Night was cloudless but Moon was also absent. It was almost pitch black.

There was nothing strange or unusual to be seen here except that there was a living being
walking these dead lands. One could think that he is simply lost or is maybe a pilgrim,
seeking redemption of some deity. But, if our imaginary observer was there he or she would
know in the same moment that nothing is ordinary about that lone, slowly walking man.

For all around him there was greatness. He was very deep in his thoughts and knowing that
there is no one else here to feel it, he loosened his restraints and opened his mind to both
world and space. Air was crackling with arcane energies. Reality was loosing definition for
Man's mind was penetrating deep in another reality, endless void that one day in very
distant future will be known as Warp.

Suddenly, Man stopped and looked up in the sky. Air arround him froze in instant and dead
land felt even more dead, even more still. Everything was locked in momentary state of
ultimate stillnes, air stoped moving, chemical interactions between molecules ceased to
work, atoms almost stoped vibrating as electrones started to slow down in their endless
spherical race arround nucleus. Down to the subatomic particles, everthingy down to the
quantum level of existence, everthing stoped as the temperaturs arround the Man rapidly
fell to ultimate zero. Everything lasted for just one fraction of just one inmeasurable unit of
time. Everything happened becouse the Man heard the the Scream.

He used all energy available to him at the moment, syphoning vast ammounts of energy
from both realities. Our physical reality was freezing and Warp was coiling in emotional,
almost sentient pain. Man was aware of risks but he had to know more about Scream. He
reached far with his mind, far more than ever before and ever again. Scream was unlike
anything he ever known before.

It was vast psychic scream of pain and fear, so vast that it filled all of known space. He raced
with his mind, searching for the couse of it, wondering what could be powerfull enough to
shake foundations of both realities and be heard in whole galaxy. He raced but source of
scream seemed more and more distant. He pursued it as far as he could, far to the
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boundaries of galaxy, bouncing from energy fields of stars and planets and when even that
was gone, using gravity filed of our galaxy as a support but the scream came from even more
far away. Knowing that he was about to loose the trace to the source, he reached in Warp
and used it as the last mean to go even deeper in void. He knew now where scream came
from for there was only one thing ahead. Another galaxy, vast and mysterious, Andromeda.
He was far now, almost half the way to the Andromeda when he felt that his pursuit is
coming to an end. Warp existed not too far in void for there was nothing there for it to leach
its emotional energy. Intergalactic void was ultimate emptiness, devoid even of secondary
reality. The Man knew that he streched strings of Warp far more than he should. He was
aware that he made mistake and that there will be consequences for there were powerfull
entities rulling over Warp, entities that were more than his equals. His arrogance took him
too far away. In last moments before going back, he looked down in the void before him, in
galaxy he will never know. In that moment he remembered that anciend phrase.

If you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you.

Just once fraction of moment too late, he realized that abyss stared back and noticed him
and for the first time in his long life he felt true horror. Before finding the source of scream,
he realized now, it found him first.

There was no other way to describe it other than „it“. He was aware that it was sentient but
unlike anything he ever knew before, not event in the deepest and darkest pits of Warp. It
screamed again from trilions of bilions of mouths at the same time, reaching for him. It
screamed in fear so horrible, so endless that even Warp coiled back like some giant tentacle
that got burned, pulling him away and back home but it was too late. He felt gigantic
sentience watching him with endless fear, malice and hunger. Behind it there was something
even larger, even more sinister but shrouded in impenetrable veil of unknown energy.

He knew he was runing away now, faster than anything will ever again run trough Warp,
blazing like a dying star trough its depths, leaving scars in delicate emotional constructs that
will never heal, destroying unique warp leviathans, sending tsunamis of carnage up to the
foundations of thrones of warp deities . Soon he was back home, slamming with his mind
like a meteor in dead soil.

Frozen atmosphere imploded with impact and explosion equal to most monstrous weapons
of ancient man shaked the tectonic plates of his planet. Even as ringlike hypersonic
shockwaves of arcane fires were thundering just miles away, scouring dead lands once again
after many milenia, he was back on his feet, watching in the black void of now for a moment
starless sky and giant shadow that manifested there in boiling air above him. Clothes and
flesh that were part of Man were gone now, anihilated. His true form was visible now
although there was nobody on Terra to see it. Golden human-like form, similar to beings
long dead nomadic people of Middle Asia called Jinns, desert demon of fire, was only what
was left of Man. It was not made of fire but from pure golden light and energy that never

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before and never again will come to existence. There was nobody on Terra to witness his
true form now but he was fully aware that there is something watching from depthless void.
He felt it reaching over unimaginalbe distance, plural in its gaze yet singular in its nature,
countless eyes watching over countless alien worlds in one single point, immensely far,
watching him, snifing his traces, drooling for his energies, howling in unison one singular
scream.

It was too late now.

He was aware of his mistake. It will come for him one day now that it was aware of his
existance and existance of abudance of life in this galaxy. It will come trough cold and lifless
void of intergalactic void guided by a single beacon, shining like a lighthouse in stormy night,
his own lifeforce. He was arrogant and careless in his pursuit. It will come following his trace,
like a wild beast follows blood drops of wounded pray.

It was hungry and its hunger was infinite.

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Despair
It was just another night on their small, forgotten world. Lone guard was standing near small
hut, guarding small setllement with some hundred miners. There was nothing and no one
here for him to look out, for this world was almost dead. It had breathable atmosphere but
almost no flora and fauna. Only few simple plants lived on this planet and only near northern
pole, where thin ice crust provided some water and few species of primitive insects not
harmfull to humans. No one knew why this world was like that, some argued that it was
probably heavily damaged in some natural catastrophy due to few very large craters in
equatorial region. Non of that concerned that lonely guard. He was bored to death, hungry
and almost frozen. Nights were cold here and he hated when his shift fell at night. He
allways wandered why they even needed guard sine there was not a single dangerous
animal or criminal or anything here. Just miners digging hard rock for some crystals which
were pretty cheap but also needed for who knows what in endless maze of Imperium.
Greatest event here was when once every six standard months middle sized cargo ship
would come to collect crystals. Nighst were usualy very dark here since this small planet had
no moons, just black sky full of distant stars like tonight or even darker when dust clouds
would start to roll down and up from south to north hemisphere. He was so bored that he
started to cound stars.

Next moment, sky full of stars flared as a new star blazed from nowhere, one signle piece of
it separated, burning as it fell towards dead, rocky plains north of settlement, second before
another star flashed in the sky but remaind there, shining with sickening violet light. It all
lasted less than a minute when shockwave from impact came at him, raising dust as it
boomed toward settllement. He was trained enough to at least barely understand what
happened. Some spaceship got in trouble up there, maybe even their cargoship although he
was due to come in two months. Falling star he saw must be a rescue pod, he thought. He
started to run towards the impact site, hoping that there are survivors he could help. Not
even a quarter of league after he started to run, he stopped as petrified. He heard runing
footsteps comming at him, every single on of them loud like an blow from large mining
pneumatic hammer. Not a few hertbeats later, he saw something that made his blood
freeze. Two large shadows, almost two times the size od ordinary human, were comming at
him, runing with incredible speed, dust clouds forming arround them. Then they saw him
and stoped just few dosen feet away. They stayed like that for few moments.

Then, two giants approached, their armour dented, burnt, blackened. Guard was frozen
with fear, seeing Astartes for the first time in his life. He could see some symbols on their
armour but could not recognise any of them. Astartes were real, he knew that much, but to
see one in person was a very rare accomplishment. They were mythic warriors, fighting in
wars far away on borders of Imperium. Yet, two of them were in front of him. First one, a bit
larger, had some huge caliber weapn in his right arm and on his wrist something that looked
like a sword, its blade consisting of bloody, knifed chain. On his back he could see a hilt of

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another sword. The other one carried even larger multibarelled weapon connected by a
thick flexible cable with massive container on his back. On his wrist there were other
weapons; one big handgun and a short sword. Their armour was coverd with vas ammounts
of blood and gore, some of it burned and still smoking. They were also both wounded, blood
dripping from places were armour was dmaaged by savage blows from unknown weapons.
Both of them carried helmets that gave them scary, inhuman look.

Then, suddenly, one of giants came at him and put his large metalic hand on his shoulder.

Forgive us, human, for what we have brought upon your world, he said with synthetic, deep
and painfull voice. Guard was completely overwhelmed with things he just saw when he
realized that armoured giant was pointing towards black sky. He saw dosens of stars falling
down on his world, all separating from large violet light. He was still confused but he realised
that someone is comming, chasing two Astartes who were standing before him.

Go human, second giant said, his voice even deeper and hard like a rock. We are aware that
there is a setllement nearby. Collect your fellow humans and all other people and run as far
as you can, hide as deep as possible. We will stand our guard here and give you some time. It
will not be much and it will not be enough. We will run no more.

Guard was still frozen but then saw first stars impact into rocky plains, few leages away
from place where first star with two giants fell.

GO YOU FOOL!!, first giant shouted, his voice like hammer, as he raised large weapon he
held in his arm. Guard started to run as fast as he could towards settlement. Few minutes
later he heard the sound, chaotic music that vibrated air, making it taste foul. Still runing, he
looked back and saw two giants standing firm, their weapons raised, chainsword howling like
a wild beast, their armour shining with inner light. Northern horizont was burning as more
and more stars were impacting and violet light was dancing in clouds of dust and smoke. He
started to run faster, not looking back anymore.

Just when he arrived into settlement, where scared people were allready on the streats,
sounds of large calliber weapons discharging came. It was like thunder, every single of
bursts, hundreds of them one after another. He urged people to run and that is what they
did, panicking, carrying their children, runing toward mines, hills, just runing, scared and
confused, not knowing what is happening. North was burning now, sounds of explosions
mixing with horrid music that came from everywhere and unbelievable screams of joy.

Just when first people where at the border of their small comunity, they realised that large,
armoured shadows where waiting there for them. Everyone stoped, frozen with fear and
horror as more and more giants emerged from shadows until they completely surrounded
them. For the first time they could clearly see giants in detail. They were horrible, deformed
monstrosites, barbed with spikes and decorated with flayed skins, bones, skulls, eyes hurting
symbols, armed with strange looking weapons, swords and axes, chained tentacled whips.

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Their faces were painful to watch, scarred, cut, oozing with pinkish fluids, their eyes black as
darkness in deepest mines, their lips cut, leaving bare vampiric teeth vissible. Their faces,
horrible as they were, were even more sickening for they were showing pleasure, already
drooling in expectation of upcoming orgy of mutilation.

They came at them, herded them like cattle, still not hurting anyone, still silent and
monstrous.

Then mutilation began. The torture, flaying, burnin, impaling, raping, cutting and countless
other unimaginable ways of humiliation and destroying of flesh and soul. No one was
spared.

First they separated grown man from women and children. Then they tied them with rusty,
bloody chains and took their weapons. They started to scream with joy as blood sprayed on
their faces as they flayed people alive, penetrated them with barbed blades, drank their
blood, eating their flesh alive. One of them came at Guard, grabbing him with ease. There
was administrative building just nearby, small aquila decorating is wall above the door. He
lifted him up there and using pieces of steel rebar he found nearby nailed him over the
aquila trough his hands and thighs. Guard screamed, barely staying conscious as monstorus
Astartes took large, filigrantly decorated knife and started to cut him, taking pieces of skin
from his face and chest, eating some of them and using other to decorate his armour.

I will not kill you human, he suddenly said, his voice like poison. I want you to watch and
scream, but your mouth seem to small from real screams so I will help you a bit.

He raised his hand and shove clowed finger in guards mouth, tearing his cheeks, on by one,
up to the base of jaws. Guard stared to gurgle and scream, his voice loosing human
definition as his jaws widened in unnatural angle.

That is good, he hissed. Watch now and scream, enjoy my art of flesh and blood, scream in
agony and anticipation, fill my ears with sweet melody of your horror.

Monster Astartes then approached group of scarred women, picked one and with a single
blow skinned her face, then toss her away like a pice of garbage toward another monster
that picked her from dust and clawed her eyes out, using them as earrings jewelry a moment
later.

Do you like me more this way, he sad, comming towards guard, as he streched womans face
skin over his disgusting visage. Guard scremed again with animalistic fear, begging fellow
Astartes he saw before to help them, begging Emperor, Imperium, Guard, anyone to help
them. Yet, there was no one to help them. His last hopes died when he saw group of
monsters approachin from north, few of them pulling decimated corpse of one Space
Marine and others carrying pieces of body of the another one.

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Why did they died, he asked himself, raising eyes toward black sky. Why did the not help us,
how could they just die? They were suposed to be immortal sons of God Emperor, never to
yield, never to fall. Was it all lie, the stories he heard during his training? Was Imperum itself
just a big lie? How could Imperum allow for things like this to happen? What are these
monsters that looked almost alike to fellow Space Marines? What are all this lies?

Desperation clawed at him, eating last bits of reason. He started to curse everything,
watching children being eaten alive, people torn to pieces for monster to bathe in their
blood and innards, people being raped with barbed weapons. He cursed Imperim, cursed
these monster, cursed Guard, his training, this world, whole univers and all stars he could
see. He hated it all and then he realised that the biggest lie of all was God Emperor.

He begged him, prayed for salvation that did not came. He cursed Emperor and Terra, cursed
his sons that were mortal and weak, cursed monsters that mutilated his friends and cursed
any god they worshiped.He screamed all those curses in darkness of night, realising that
there is no one there who cared.

Hate overwhelmed him yet he knew that he is powerless and that his screams are only
bringing more joy to monsters.He just wanted to die but could not, although he was loosing
blood from many wounds. Wave after wave of hate towards everything shaked his body
until finally he lost his consciousness. Only darkness and silence remained, welcomed and
calming. There was nothing here in coma but endless empty void.

There was no time here, he knew that somehow. This was neither dream not reality. Far, far
away, somewhere at the horison of this void, he could not see but rather feel vast forms
coiling like giant water monsters that he heard about which lived in infamous death worlds.
These forms looked organic but not alive, too far for him to see or feel clearly. Yet, all
arround him there was nothing but empty and silent darnkess, like a bubble in a unrully
ocean, surrounded by hungry monsters. He felt that he was alone but at one moment that
changed and he felt another presence. It was all around him, not hiding in darkness but
more like being part of it. Sudden flashes of blinding white light announced the change.
Emptiness arround him started to vibrate and with sound similar to that of tightned wire
being torn darkness got cut in two. One half was still pitch black and another dazzling white.
He was in the middle, aware that this is some dream like state and not reality. Yet, he could
see right side of his body, bloodied and wounded while left side was in darkness, whole and
undamaged. Mere moments later the voice struck him, powerfull and cold like ice.

You relinquished everyhing, mortal?, voice asked.

You disclaimed loyaly to your un-god, martyr?

You cursed his weakness, you wanted death to opressors, tormentors of your folk?

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You deny them your soul, both to corpse god and to malformation your tortures call their
deity? Both to wretched god of war and rotten god of transience? To that tencatled liar?

You abjure them all, do you martyr?

Choose your words wisely mortal, for there is no turning back now. Speak!

Nameless guard was struck by power that adressed him, overwhelmed by its power yet he
was no scared anymore. Pain was not here anymore.

Yes, I relinquish everything for everything abbandoned me and my people. Imperium could
help us, sons of God Emperor were just a lie, just a myth, they are mortal just as I am.
Everything is a lie and no one cares for us. No one heard screams of inocent people. How
could all powerfull God Emperor allow this monsters to exist, to bring such demise to its
servants? I disclaim loyalty to him and wish only death to this monsters and their masters. I
hate them and want to bring them the most miserable death imaginable.

Who are you, speaker and where is this, where am I?

There was just silence for a few moments and then voice speaked again, now sympathetic
and with compassion.

You deserve my gift, mortal. You will be a brother of mine, a servant, a soldier, a warrior, an
equal. You will be my son and you will be blessed by your new mother, for she will tend to
your wounds and whisper words of power in your ears and I will give you power, armour and
weapon and strengt to wield them. You will join your brothers and equals but first fullfill
what your heart desire.

Suddenly guard heard footsteps and from border between dark and light large figure
emerged. It was dragonlike giant, black and white armour covering his body. As it
approached it scaled down until it was the size or normal, masculine human. Now up close,
guard could see that his face was covered in skull mask. Newcomer reached with his left
hand and put it on guards forehead.

See now, my son, and learn. When you open your eyes again, I will be gone and you will be
back, yet you will not be alone. You will become part of me and I will become part of you, to
burn in your heart and fuel your hate.

And then he saw. Endless voids of warp, monsters coiling and feasting on souls and each
other, 4 chaos gods in their full majesty, Emperor rotting on his throne, his sons dying on
endless battlefields, tide of chitinous beasts devouring whole worlds, mechanical warriors
erradicate all life, blue beings bringing sickenig order, whole galaxy in flames of endless war.
He was struck and when he looked again, there was someone else with them. Feminine
figure, a beutifull motherly priestess of his new god. She came at him and touched his cheek.

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Come my son, she said, let me tend your wounds, let me heal you. Embrace me and I will be
your mother to protect you, to ease your every pain, your every doubt. Give me your hand,
my son, for your suffering has come to an end.

Give me your hand and wake up for I will be there for you, waiting to present to you gifts of
our god and to witness your revenge. Wake up now and call me. I will come.

He reached for her, his heart free from fear and doubt, only cold hate and resolve remaining
there, together with newfound loyalty.

He woke up, barely able to open his eyes. Air was putrid with stench of blood, charred flesh,
with unnatural, deviant smells of monster Astartes. His body was weak and heavy, wounds
pulsating with pain. All that happened was like a dream now he was almost unable to
remember clearly. Almost everything was forgotten except that gentle, motherly voice and
deep black eyes full of care. Call me, he remembered she said, and I will come. With last
breaths he had, last bits of life that remained, he called her.

Mother, he whispered with pain, his lips torn, tongue stiff, whole mouth full of coagulated
blood.

Mother...master...come...were his last words. His body was dying, his mind fading. Breathe
later and he was gone.

Not a single Traitor Marine noticed what was happening. They were all indulged in
monstrous acts of mutilation, gorging upon the feast of suffering and pain, destined by the
will of their father forerver to seek deeper and more intense pleasures, cursed by the will of
their god never to reach or find it.

Feroconcrete wall where guard was nailed suddenly became like fluid, oscilating like
disturbed water. It encompassed his whole body and formed starlike pattern of black and
white with guards body in center. Then, surface of fluid mass stirred and two feminine,
clawed hands slowly started to rise, coiling around the tortured body. Hands embraced him
as upper torso of female giant, covered in cuirass, emerged. Horned head was vissible now,
face hidden behind chained veil. It embraced guards body like a mother would embarce
sleeping child and whispered something in his ear.

One of Traitors noticed that something was happening but it was too late. Everything that
followed happened in a blink of an eye.

Guards body spasmed, his eyes now wide open and pitch black, not human anymore. Female
giant still kept him in his embrace as he writhed, his body changing. Skin hardened, growing
in armoured forms, bones broke and form anew in more corpulent shapes.

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His jaw malformed, growing, torn cheeks forming new monstorus maw full of beastlike
canines. His body was growing from inside, fueled by the power of his new master, growing
in giant form of warrior covered in bonelike armour, fingers forming claws.

Spasms slowed down, his body still limp. Female giant slowly loosened its embrace and let
guard-warrior fall to soil. As he fell, she remained standing above him, watching over his
immovable form.

Traitors were now all aware that something happened. They were standing there, confused,
wretched bodies of their victims still in their hands.

Guard-warrior stirred and slowly stand up. He seemed completely lost, unaware of his
surroundings. Female demon, for demon she had to be, put here large, clawed hand upon
his armoured, barbed shoulder.

Go my son, find your vengeance! , she said as he fully woke up. He looked towards group of
Traitors, more than a dosen of them, all armoured and armed beasts. He roared and they
screamed, rushing at him. He rushed at them with ferocity even they never witnesed in their
ten milenia long unlife.

They clawed at him, shot him, struck him with whips, swords, chainblades, axes, with bare
hands, yet not a single on of them was able to struck a blow on him for he was too fast even
for veteran traitors who fought long forgotten fratricidal war milenia ago. With blows of his
clawed hands he tore their bodies, tearing ther limbs, their heads, pulling their innards out
and strangling them with their entrails. He clawed their hearts out, chewing them and
spitting them at the faces of next wave. He impaled them on large pieces of metallic beams.
Settlement vanished in hail of blows of ferocios combat, air full of blodied mist. It all lasted
few moments and suddenly it was over. All Traitor Astartes were dead, not a single body in
one piece. Guard-warriors body was completely covered in warm blood that evaporated in
coldness of night as he was standing there, breathing deep and slowly. Not a single human
was allive either. No one was there to witness what was happening except armoured, veiled
female giant.

You have fought well, my son. Your master was right to choose you, to hear upon your
words as you were dying.

See my son, she said.

Look up for there are more of them there, she said, pointing with clawed hand upon the
unmoving violet star in the sky.

Veil between worlds is thin here, she said.Come and I will take you to them.

She lend her hand and he took it. They approached liquifed wall there female demon came
out and dissapeared inside.

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Everything was quite now. Cold, dead world was even more cold and silent now. Streets of
destroyed mining colony were covered in torn pieces of both humans and Traitor Marines.
Just a bit far to the north, two heaps of flesh were all that remaind of two heroic Space
Marines who gave their life in order to buy some time for their fellow humans, all in vain
now. Only sound that remaind was slow dripping of cogulated blood from bodies of Traitors,
impaled on high errected metallic beams.

Briliant flash of nuclear fire was the last light to shine upon this world. High in orbit, Traitors
spaceship exploded, vanishing in fires hot as heart of a star.

As last rays of light faded, darkness fell to the small, dead mining colony, never to rise again.

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Youngest son

[ I ]

Bells woke him up. Grogy at first, he sat at his bed, looking trough the window. It was
beautuiful morning outside. Sky was clear and blue, fresh breeze carried small birds that
sang the songs of spring. He just sat there, listening that deep, revebrating sound of giant
cathedral bells. He looked trough the window and saw the streets full of people, all of them
silently looking at the castle. It was sucha a beautifull day, a day that his life ends. There was
nothing he could do so he slowly dressed his official uniform, knowing that everyone will
expect him to understand the situation and be ready.

After doublechecking that every part of his uniform sits perfectly, he oppened the door and
saw 6 guards that were allready waiting for him. Knowing what was at the stake, they did
not want to wake him up so they patiently waited for him. Without word, they formed two
rows left and right, allowing him to come at the hallway. They were all dressed in full plate
with armed weapons and as he started the long walk to the throneroom, they followed him
in silence. One of them whispered about what happened. Very erly in the morning a
messenger came and was led directly to the kings chambers. Soon after, bells started to toll.

At the majestic doors of the throneroom, two servants we waiting and when he and his
honour bodyguards arrived, they slowly oppened them, allowing acces to the long, arched
hall where his father, mother and siblings, together with few dozens of high ranking officials
were waiting.

Every single of of them was silent. Young prince walked in the throneroom allone, his
bodyguards not allowed inside while armed and armoured. Slowly he walked towards the
throne, feeling his every step under scrutiny. His mother cried and his fathers look was cold
as ice. Oldest sister, standing left by the queen cried too while his dearest, youngest sister
barely controled her sobbing, her chin in consant tremor as she was hiding behind her big
sisters dress. The only face that showed any other emotion but sadness was his older
brother, his eyes full of malice. Waiting for the bells to toll lasted unusualy long in this
generation so his not so dear brother Darium was allready full of concern that his place as
the next king might be in question. Now, knowing that the only other successor to the
throne is about to be sent to die, he did not even try to hide his joy. As his old nany once
explained to him, he had a rare gift – he could somehow feel what other people feel but only
toward himself.

It was like seeing faint aura of colour arround someones body and every colour had a
meaning, he learned over the years. Quick look arround the throneroom showed him how
wrong he was. Almost all sadness showed was played, some of it even badly. Throneroom

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was full of very black colour with exception of one small, blue flame. There was only one
person that will miss him, his small sister.

Young prince Mgla came close to the throne and bowed, waiting for the traditional ritual to
commence.

King Borgir rose from the throne and approached .

„My son...The bells tolled once again“, he said, his every word loud as thunder in absolute
silence of the throneroom. Rising his scepter, symbol of Borgir family and their ancient
power, he started.

„I, King Borgir, was standing here one generation ago when my father, blessed he may be,
sent his son and my late brother, his name forbidden to us, to fullfill the oath once given, 23
generations ago, by mine and his ancestor, King Kalman to his mighty nemesis, Imperator
Jammersk of our neighbour imperium of Neblinum. By giving that oath he stopped the war
thar raged and destroyed our world for untold generations.

Today, the day has come that I, King Borgir, send my son Mgla as twenty fourth prince, to
the lands of Neblinum and to the home of current Imperator of Neblinum, Vlad Grozny.
There, riding his mighty steed Luror, my son and your prince Mgla will bow to Imperator Vlad
and fullfill an oath long given. As tradition defines, he will either fullfill the oath and release
our kingdom from that burden or die trying, just as 23 of his ancestors did in milleniums that
passed.“

King approached the kneeling prince and lowered the scepter so that it touched his
forehead.

„As tradition defines, prince Mgla, as my youngest son, will ride tommorow at dawn,
following the path his ancestors once walked. Do you, my son and prince of your people,
accept this burden of oath? Will you walk to succed in dire mission that expects you or will
you die trying like all before you?“

Prince Mgla rose, knowing what to say. There was no choice here. His answer was written in
stone that carried the base of his fathers throne. It was tradition that his family power and
whole kingdom was based upon.

„Yes, my king. I will walk periliouis path to the home of Imperator of Neblinum and will kneel
before him, repeating the oath my ancestor gave, accepting that burden. I will go and fullfill
the oath or I will die trying. My name will be forbidden to my family and my people if I fail.
New sons will be born and raised to walk the path me and my ancestors once walked if I fail.
New hope will rise and new King will repeat this ritual, sending his son to succed where I
failed, if I fail.“

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Every word was learned years ago, long before he could even understand the true meaning
of them. His fait was sealed now. Tommorow he will ride to the lands of Nemblinum, where
they will direct him to the cursed mountain range on the far south of their imperium. He
knew his mission yet had no knowlege of what awaits him there. Nobody ever came back
from the borders of mountains to tell the story.

As the ceremony contiuned, he looked at his family and officals present. There was so much
faked sadness there but also a very clear hint of relief. Years passed and bells did not toll,
threathening to compromise their way of life and transfer of power from king to successor.
Mother and older sister were trying to look sad yet he knew that they were aware that his
death will remove any risk of system disruption. The single person in whole throneroom
that was honestly sad was his little sister, the younges of them all. She so was only 9 years
old and she sobbed like newborn, hiding somewhere behind the throne. He wished to go
there and comfort here but knew that it would be against protocol.

He had to stay stoic and not show any emotin. After all, he was dead man walking now. He
stayed long enough to finish all ceremonial duties and then to say goodbuy to his family,
knowing thet this is the last time he will see them this close. Then he left, followed by his
honour guard, walking the long corridors to the dungeons deep bellow the foundations of
his home to prepare and meet his steed.

Voices of his ancestors woke him up, urging him to go. He was disoriented for few moments,
completely lost in chattering cacophony of arguing voices of people long dead. Dissmising
them with ease, for he was experienced and very talened young man, he checked everything
one last time. Chronometer showed that the time has come. He asked his ancestor to
forgive him for being harsh to them, prayed for their guidance and walked toward the exit.

Outside, at least hundred thousand people gatheret to set him off. His family was there too,
watching from the tall balcony on the wall of castle.

Giant door that protected deep dungeons slowly opened, ancient mechanism grinding.
Hundred thousand people cried and cheered in the moment his steed Luror walked trough
the door, his head at the level with walls of ramp. Followed by the cohorot of Red Priests,
giant made his first steps up the ramp, leaving the shadow of the dungeons.Thirty feet of
war given form in metal, armour and wepon, adorned with flags of his family, Imperial
Knight Luror, mighty steed of prince Mgla, walked like some mythical beast, his every step
sending deep tremors trough the paved streets. People kneeled, praying to the god of war
that walked toward his death. Looking at them and two rows of Red Priests, prince Mgla
rememberd how sared he was once, long time ago, when he was small child. Red Priests
were horrid to look upon, cybernetic beings only in small part still human. They followed the
teachings of Machine God, mythical being that gave soul and motion force to all mechanical
workings of their world. Many people arround him prayed to the Machine God yet many
more prayed with their faces turned toward the Sun, the Sun God, entity that had no priests,

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temples, shirines or icons. Strange god was it, one that per ancient teachings allowed his
teachings not te be preached but to be found deep in heart of every human that walked this
world. Red Priests droned prayers to the avatar of their god and Mgla allowed himself faint
smile. Once they scared him and now, they prayed to the physical manifestation of their own
god, his divine will given form in avatar of Machine God he was essential part now. Deeply
immersed in his throne, he was part of it and could feel every single part of that giant war
machine like it was his own body.

Every single gear, piston, chain, sprocket, every wepon, deadly heat of his nuclear heart, he
coul feel. It was his body now. He looked arround him and saw that nobody of all people
present saw him, human prince Mgla. All they saw was waste of something that can not and
will not be replaced. Lost was wisdom of creating avatars of Machine God and over the
centuries, royal family of Borgir was almost depleted of them now. With Luror destined to go
to suicide mission, ony two more Imperial Knights remained in deep dungeons behind their
castle. Only two more generations to go, Mgla realized. Two more chances to fullfill that
oath and if they fail, as he will soon, war will come again to this world. Neblinum, far more
powerfull than his home, kingdom Kalmana, will come again and finish what they started
more than two millenia ago.

After climbing the ramp, he turned towars the walls of his home and balcony where his
family was standing. He raides his titanic right arm where blade of monstrous proportions
was mounted, chainsword capable of rending even the fortress walls to shredds. Giant blade
roared to life as his last goodbye. War horns blared as he honoured his family, his people,
Red Priests and Machine God and lastly, he turned towards the Sun to honour the distant
Sun God.

There was nothing else to do but to ask them to help him in this mission, although he did not
expect any help at all. It was time to go. Thick forest was barring his way toward north yet
there wass path to be seen there. Decades ago, his ancestor walked it, as his ancestor before
and so on.Trees were smaller there, not allowed to grow to big. His mighty steed crushed
them to cinders as he followed the path to the unknown.

[ II ]

It was all classic story, told countless times in history and all across the world.

They knew each other since they were children and since that early age the both knew they
were meant to be together forever.

When the day has come, they were not allowed to be together. Her parents were rich,
influenatal people with strong ties in trading guilds and Machine God priesthood and one of
the rulling families in their town. His parents were ordinary people, not too rich but also not
poor but still considered as lower class. So, the day when he, higly educated young man and
his father, beloved weapon craftsman, asked her parents for her hand, they were rejected

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and loughed upon. They dared to aks for a hand of a young, rich lady, blue-blood in its finest,
her parents and cousins loughed, mocking them.

Nobody asked that young, rich lady about what she desired for her role in family affairs was
long ago settled. She was to marry much older man, very rich and powerfull patriarch of one
of the rulling families of the neirby kingomd, important trading station for the whole
continent. She was born with a purpose to make her family more powerfull and secure them
place in higher tiers of aristocratic society of their world. Nobody cared for her feelings or
the feelings of that stupid young man she used to play with when they were children.
Nobody cared when that young man and his father, well respected citizens, were thrown
outside, ashamed and hurt.

Nobody cared when the heart of the young girl broke, her soul crushed when her one life
desire, love and dream was torn away, mocked upon. Part of her soul simply died that day,
refusing to accept life she was forced to live. She fell, never to get up again.

Months passed without her ever gaining back her consciousness. She just laid there, slowly
vanishing. At first, her family tried to help her. Countless doctors came, priests, monks,
hermits, Even Red Priest from a Machine God temple. Nobody was able to help her. Her
body was healthy but her mind was simply dead, they said. Rich old mand who she was
suposed to marry soon lost his interest and after that, her family folowed.

They left her alone in her room to simply fade away, only maids visited her regulary to force
feed and clean her.

Young man she loved suffered too. Everybody tried to comfort him for they understood. It
was not the first time that something similar happened. Their city and the whole world was a
world divided by a classes, rich people mixed with other reach people and ordinary people
were meant to know their place. As time passed everybody expected that he will simply
accept his destiny and find another girl. He was young man from a well respected family,
educated and handsome. Many girls desired him but he refused them all, not willing to
accept that she, the one he loved, was gone. Every time he tried to visit her he was rejected,
yet he hoped that one day she will wake up, simply to live, even with another man. He was
aware that they will never be together but he also could not continue his life until she lived
too.

Time passed and many simply forgot about what happened. Life went further so nobody
really noticed rumours that she woke up. Her family did not care either for she was not able
to move her body since life came back to her only that much so she could faintly speak. Her
beloved one did not forgot. Bribing guards and maids he managed to get to her, to see her
once again, to hear her voice maybe for the last time. When he got in her room she smiled
to him, life sparking in her eyes, beautiful as ever. They both cried upon their destiny,
whispering. When time came for him to go, he asked her if she wish for something, anything

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that may ease her days in lonelines, anything that might give her some joy. She asked hom
to come closer and whispered something to his ear.

A fruit was what she wanted. Rare, mythic fruit they both read about in some book long time
ago when they were just children, fruit that grew only on one single place in their world, far
away in northeren mountains.. They dreamed that one day they will go there together and
see it with their own eyes, try its yellow flesh, sweet like honey as described. Bring me fruits
so I can die happy, she said. Bring me that one piece of our mutual dream that I can have,
now that I have lost you, she said.

He bowed his haid, crying, and gave a word. No mather how, no mather what it may cost, I
will bring what your heart desire. He gave an oath, oath so strong that its words trembled
trough the fabric of reality although they were only whispered. An oath that fused their
souls like no simple love, loyalty, marriage, children or anything else could have fused. It
was honest and blind like small childs love for its mother, a chain ubreakable.

A chain that punctured trough time and space and aether and reality, both physical and the
other one, unknown and dark where leviathans of thought recoiled, blinded by a string of
light that conected two souls, one of them almost in their claws, other still distant.

He promised, kissed her cheek and left her alone in her dark room in hell.

[ III ]

It was a long walk. Path curved trough deep, shadowed valleys, up steep hills, trough gorges
between low mountains yet the forest was all the same. It was not possible to miss the path.
Trees were clearly smaller, some of them badly malformed growing from large, mostly
rotten trunks. On some parts it was visible that path was a road once, paved with large flat
stones. Time, landslides, water and roots destroyed every sense of order. It would be quite
hard to use the road now eveny while riding grox but armoured, clawed feet of towering
war machine crushed roots and upturned rocks to dust. Cradled in his throne, Mgla walked
fast enough not ready to risk any damage to his steed. Ancient forest was completely devoid
of any human activity now. Mgla toogled trough various vision specters, checking the forest.
Spars of life could be seen here and there, nothing big enough to make it interesting. He
knew that these forests were very dangerous place and why nobody, not even the most
skilled hunters, did not walk this deep into this gloomy, cold woods. Large battles happened
in this area, on of his ancestors told him trough neurolink that connected him to his Knight.
Switching to radar, he saw traces of fortifications, collapsed bunkers and shallow trenches.
Everything was burried under deep layers of rotten leafs. Traces of metal could also be seen,
some of them clearly structures, some maybe even remains of heavy ordnance weapons. He
walked one day and one night without stopping until he arrived at the bank of the river
Verge, natural boder between two countries.

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There were no bridges here since nobody ever came here. River was deep and fast but
crossing, built who knows how long ago allowed safe crossing for his Knight trough mere
five feets deep torrent. Mgla checked the bank across the river with optical sensors and then
with full spectrum of auspex gear he possessed. There was not a single living soul there or
miles away in any direction. Knowing that he is expected, he entered the river and crossed it
without any problems. After stepping on foreign land of Neblinum for the first time in his
life, he checked his auspex again, seeing nothing. Path he followed continued in the same
manner here so he simply decided to follow it. Everything looked exactly the same here.
Ancient, dark forest, destroyed remains of road and absolute silence. Lack of any wildlife
started to worry him.

Big herbivors and dangerous carnivours roamed these lands yet there were no traces of
them and not even sensitive equipment of his Knight could catch any significant sound, miles
arrround him. With nothing else to do he simply walked till the end of that day and whole
night. Early in the morning, hours before sunrise, thick fog rolled trough the forest, disabling
all possibility of using his eyes. He switched to combination of radar and infrared. Mere
moments before sunrise, he exited the forest, leaving giant trees behind. Large clear space
was there, now completely covered in milky fog. Sun has risen and made the fog even more
disorienting. He walked further in the direction radar told him that the ground rose uphill.

Dozen of steps later, he exited the fog end climbed at the leveled top of the hill. Sky was
covered in smoke but after hours in dark fog, even that blured light burned his eyes. Quickly
he turned on compensators and in the same moment realized that he is not allone anymore.
Welcome party was waiting for him.

There were fifty of them, all riding very big armoured grox. Their riders were also heavily
armoured and armed. Formed in vedge shaped unit, they protected something that did not
need that kind of protection. Towering above them and, as Mglas auspex confirmed, even
his Knigt Luror, was a very heavily armoured and bulky version of Imperial Knight. Painted in
black and white and adorned with thick spikes that carried Neblinum flags, it was majestic
view to behold. His left arm was something that looked like lightning gun or multibarreled
plasma gun. Right arm was long chainsword, very similar to Mglas own but much heavier.
After few moments of hesitation, Mgla aproached the unmoving welcome party and few
steps away from the tip of V- formation of grox riding knights, he stopped and slowly bowed,
pointing his weapons into the ground as protocol demanded.

Hoping that he did everything right, Mgla waited. Booming, amplified voice broke the silence
as the black and white Imperial Knight spoke.

„I see that your father has learned you well, young prince“, he said. Voice was distorted by
high amplification but it was clear that the speaker was noble and honourable warrior.

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„Rise up, oath carrier! There is no need to bow to me, we are both of royal blood. You come
from a line of very well respected knights. Our ancestors fought once in the dark forests you
came trough but that time has long passed. We are bound by same malady now, young
prince. I am Imperator Jammersk the Second, the second to carry that holy name. It was
your grand ancestor King Kalman that first gave an oath to the one whose name I bear.
Present yourself and let us then go to meet our destiny!.

Mgla rose in his throne and his Imperial Knight rose with him, shadowing his every
movement. Voices of ancestor were screaming, some of them protesting that he spoke to
representatice of their arch nemesis. He silenced them all again. This was not time to dig
trough old wounds.

„I am Prince Mgla, son of King Borgir, twenty fourth of family Borgir that walked the
shadowed path trough the ancient forest. May the Machine God and Sun God bless me and
my Knight and may we be the last to do so. As my ancestors did in millenia before, hereby I
answer the call to renew the oath once given.

I, prince Mgla of house Borgir, give an oath that I will do anything in my power to retrieve
what was taken. I will fight and win or I will fight and die.“

He rose his giganting chainsword blade towards the Sun.

„May the Sun God bless me for my faith in His teaching is strong in my heart. I, Prince Mgla,
hereby denounce my name and name of my family and pass it to you, Imperator Jammersk
the Second.

I will be nothing but a Knight now. If i fail, my name will be forbidden and forgotten. If I win, i
will claim my name and name of my family. Oath will be fullfilled and burden removed. Our
kingdoms will unite under the light of Sun God and plague of war will never again walk our
mutual lands.

I, Knight Luror, give you this oath. I will bring you your doughter back“.

[ IV ]

Early next morning a lone figure with nothing but a small bag on his shoulders left the town,
heading south towards North-.

Knowing that there is not much strength left in her, he hurried. land where Dunja grew was
far, very far. He cluthced his bag, full of his years worth of savings. He knew that it will be
enough to pay for trip there and back, the fastest way available. Only time mattered. He
cared not for money, his safety or his life, he will bring her that one piece of their dream,
knowing that there was nothing else he could. Three monts will surely be enough, if only his
luck would cooperate, he calculated. His education gave him a lot of knowlege about maps
and geography of his world so he was certain in his calculations

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Yet, luck may be a good servant but also a very, very vile master.

Three years later, funeral procession was slowly moving trough the central street. Day was
cold and foggy and few hundred pepole attending the funerall were all dressed in black,
clutching their coats as they tried to protect themself from the cold. Heavy funeral cart
pulled by a pair of large grox guided by two funneral man was leading the procession, with
family and cousins forming a column behind, walking on foot. Ordinary people were standing
at the sides of the streets, all in silence. She died and veil of sadness fell upon the town she
walked once, beautiful and happy, bringing light to everyone who knew her.

She died and he did not came back. Everyone knew about the story. One of her maids heard
them talking, three years ago and rumours circled the town in days to come. She was dying
and asked her beloved one for single gift, rare fruit almost no one ever heard about.
Everybody knew that he left and many hoped he will come back in time. His parents cried
but understood. Her parents did not care about some foolish young man for they were too
bussy with ther affairs. They just wished for her to die and release them from burden once
and for all for they considered her to be a disgrace. Many ordinary people noticed that there
was no sadness on the faces of her family as they walked behind her funeral cart. They
cursed them for what they did, for destroying two young lifes.

She, a blossoming flower, was but a pale corpse now and he, her beloved, was lost
somewhere, surely dead too, otherwise he would already returned at least to accompany his
love to her last resting place.

As the procession was slowly progressed towards the graveyard, a lone figure emerged from
a fog. A hermit, his clothes worn out, head covered in a long, greasy hair and face hidden
behind a beard, with a heavy bag on his shoulders and small rectangular coffin in his hands.
He was standing at the middle of the road. Procession continued until just few feet away
from him and stopped, funeral man calming the big animals.

Who are you and why do you interfere, one of the funeral man asked. Do you not see that
this is funeral, hermit?

Voices behind the cart started to protest about the standstill as the hermit put his arm inside
a a bag and took heavy leather pouch. He threw it and it hit the pavement, uncording. Heap
of gold coins spilled across the wet stone and dead silence followed. Everybody, even the
most impatient members of her family fell silent for everybody recognized the act.

Nobody saw it in many, many years but everybody heard about it. Ancient custom, old like
this world itself, was playing in front of them. Wailing it was called, custom that allowed one
to see his lost love once again and forbade anyone from interferring. Everyone now realised
who that hermit was.

He came back but he came in vain. One single day too late.

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One hundred to stop, hermit sad, his voice hoarse and weary as he slowly approched the
cart. He put his right hand on her coffin, lowering his head.

One hundred to set her down, he sad, his voice almost inaudible now, threwing another
pouch of cold coins, spilling them near the cart itself.

Silent wailing was heard, murmuring and sobbing. People cried and her family cursed but
there was nothing anyone could do now. Ancient custom was blessed even by Red Priests
and Sun God believers, accepted as a last means of saying goodby to beloved ones you were
never allowed to love, not to mention that all gold spilled belonged to them. Still, it was very
rare to see something like that, sometimes whole generations would pass inbetween two
Wailings. Funeral man were introduced in tradition and knew what has to be done after the
words have been given. They removed coverings with family heraldry from the coffin and
lowered it down slowly on the cold stone. With hammers and chisels they unpeged the
coffin and opened it, then they steped away, lowering their heads in unison, murmuring
prayers. Hermit came near the coffin and kneeled down. She was dressed in one of her
favourite dresses and he rememberd her dancing in the same dress years ago, once thrilling
with life and now a burial gown, his eyes full of tears and with pain tearing his chest.

Her face was pale yet beautifull, like carved from marble.

He took small metalic coffin he carried and opened it with a hiss. It was small stasis chamber
and inside there were yellow fruits, fresh like it was picked just moments ago. One by one he
put them inside coffin, near her hands and head. Then he kissed her cold cheek and stood
up, took one last look and slowly closed the coffin. Without a word he turned around and
walked in the fog, quickly dissapearing.

He kept his word but he was late. His heart broken once and for all, soul crushed, mind
veiled in burning despair and grief, there was nothing left for him but death and he walked
away to find it.

He brought her what she desired. Dunja, fruit more valuable than its weight in pure gold.
Not just one as she asked, but more.

Eight.

[ V ]

They walked in silence, followed by grox riders dispered left and right. Mgla knew that
something was wrong by the direction they were moving. Northern mountains were getting
closer with every step. He was told that Imperator of Neblinum will meet him in capitol city
where full ceremonial oath delivery will be held.

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Since they introduced themself on that flattened hill, Jammers was leading him to the
mountains whole capitol was located on great eastern planes.Although confused, he dared
not to ask, waiting for Imperator to talk first. Hours passed and their surroudings changed
gradualy. Forest was still there but it was different. Gone was that proud, clean forrest,
replaced with deformed, hunched trunks that rotted as they grew. Temperature dropped
and grox riders stared to fall behind, their reptilian steeds unable to function properly in
climate this cold. Soil was covered in mud and rotten leafs and branches. Sun was nowhere
to be seen, completely hidden behind thick layers of dark, threathening clouds. Soon, even
the sick trees dissapeard, leaving only pale grass covering muddy ground. Two Imperial
Knights walked for a while untill they came near a row of stone menhirs that streched left
and right as far as they Mgla could see. Every hundred or soo feet there was one crude stone
menhir, coverde in gray moss. Air was full of tiny drops of rain, almost if clouds itself lovered
themself and creeped the ground.

Black and white Imperial Knight of Imperator Jammersk the Second stopped fifty feet before
the menhir line.

„This is the border young Knight.“ He said, his voice comming trough the vox unit now. „I can
not follow you there nor you can seek any help once you cross it.“

Mighty war machine turned slowly and approached Mglas Knight.

„I do not know what lies there, nobody ever came back to tell the story. As soon as it
happened, I sent messenger to you father, revoking the oath. She was taken from my home,
from her own room during a night with very strong and unusal storm. What I am about to
tell you is a secret only I and your father know and you will be the third person alive to know
it. Our world is tormened by wretched cult that worships gods terrible and inconceivable.
Millena passed and untold heroes died trying to destroy that evil from our world yet we
never succeded. War that our ancestors fought was their doing. Milions died until that day
when our two ancestors met eye in eye and fough duel that even today is sang in heroic
songs. As they fought, they also talked and realised how honourable individuals they were
and uncovered great lies that brougt war to our world.

They ended their duel there and formed friendship that was almost ended in next moment
as traitors revealed themself and tied to kill your ancestor, King Kalman, in order to make it
look like Imperator Jammers killed im in unhonourable way. My ancestor, great warrior he
was, managed do save Kalman and protect his life with his own body. Traitors died all and
both rulers were wounded but survied. Peace came to our lands that day and oath was given
by King Kalman. He will lend help to rulers of Neblinum when they are in dire need.“

Mgla was listening in silence, hearing voices of his ancestor that shadowed like ghosts deep
in core of his Imperial Knight. They confirmed that every world Jammersk said was true.

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„Merely one year passed in peace when the on whose name I carry called upon that oath.
His only doughter, her name forbidden to us, was taken by the cult and taken to the
northern mountains. Great army was sent there with many Knights yet none returned to tell
what happened. Recently ended war has taken heavy losses upon armies of my ancestor and
loss of almost all Knights left him no choice but to call upon oath. King Kalman sent his
youngest son, great warrior with his steed Imperial Knight Sabak. He crossed this border and
went to fight the cult and bring the princess back yet never returned. Single very distorted
vox message was only what we heard from him just hours later. He informed us that cult was
trying to execute some sort of ritual that is possible only once in generation and something
about everything being different there. That was the last time we heard from him. Our Red
Priests have managed to link that information with some unusual stellar configurations that
allign themself only once in generation but could never find out which one was it. The rest is
history. We tried everything, protecting our female offspring with whole armies, hiding them
in bunkers that not even the mightiest of Knights could find and open yet we allways failed
and once in a while, one princess was taken. Many heroes from Neblinum have gone to
mountains to try their luck, even young knights from smaller countries on far end of the
continent. None came back. With no choice left, with our Imperial Knights almost depleted,
my ancestord could do nothing else but to call upon your family for help. Every time you
answered the call.“

Mgla could feel Jammersk looking at him, his voice shaking.

„Knight, you must be aware what is at stake here. I have no more children nor I will be able
to bare anymore. Save my doughter and save my family name or it will die. My country will
plummet into war. I barely contain uprisings even now. Other powerfull families have
scented the blood and call for me to abdict since i have no successor anymore. My own days
are counted, uncurable sickness is kiling me with moment.“

Jammersk Knight was reacting to emotions that shaked his rider. His weapons were
humming with power.

„Do what none has done before. Go and come back. Save my doughter, fullfill an oath, save
my and your country from war that will burn this world to cinders. This is the last chance.
Go, young Knight. I will wait here to welcome you and my doughter. I will protect your name
to give it back.“

With that words Jammers turned and left. Mgla could feel that old ruler was crying now.
After few hundred feet Jammersk turned and prepared himself to stand there as long as it
takes. He will really wait for me to come back, Mgla realised, turning slowly toward the
border marked by menhirs.

Via neural link he readied all his weapons, tripple checked all systems, called upon all his
ancestors to lend him their experience, one last time asked Sun God and Machine God for

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their bleesing. Then, with confidence, he walked to the border and crossed it. He expected
to enter hell itself, yet nothing changed. Few steps away, he did full sweep with all means his
auspex had. Nothing, just empty, cold hills that gradually grew bigger and more steep until
the first cliffs emerged like gray, almost vertical walls further uphill.In order to check vox, he
sent short message to Jammersk. Nothing happend for few moments then answer came,
very blurred and distorted, almost like it came from tens of miles away and not just under
thousand feet.

„I can still hear you Knight but very badly“, Jammersk answered. „Try contacting me again
when you go furter away, I will be here.“

It was clear that something is not right. Menhir border looked like simpe row of tall, crudely
carved stones that curved from left to right as far one could see. Nothing but row of stones
on the first sight but it was clear that they indeed bordered something he could not
understand. He knew something about technology and that there are way to block or distort
vox signals. Something like that was used to protect throneroom and other important
chambers from tapping in his own home. Yet, all he could see here were simple stones.
Maybe some ancient technology, from Lost Ages, days before his ancestors settled these
lands? He heard stories about mysterious creatures that dwelled this world very, very long
time ago, some hunters claiming to have found strange looking ruins very deep into forests
on the South, the deadly, hot and humid jungle that did not welcome any intruders, realm of
mist where carnivours ruled.

Nobody believed those stories anyhow, just as almost any other story hunters narrated.

Looking at invisibl barrier he jus crossed, Mgla asked himself if there was some truth in those
stories after all. Walking further and further away, he tried vox contact but without any
succes. Slowly and carefully he climbed the nearest hill with his auspex on maximum
sensitivity. Behind him was the border, directly in front of him were dark mountains,
partially hidden behind dark clouds and narrow gloomy passage between hills that led
directly there. Left and right there was nothing but menhirs. Next moment his optics cought
something. He turned, hunched form of his Knight blazing as all his weapons energized to full
combat readiness. There was something there, maybe one mile away, just fify or so feet
from menhir border. He zoomed as much as possible. What he saw froze the blood in his
veins. It was ruined carcass of Imperial Knight, very, very old and heavily erroded by
elements. Mgla rememberd what Jammersk told him, about blurred vox message they
received long ago. His ancestor was lying there, corroded and covered with patches of moss,
rotting and fading away. He was runing away from something and died there, maybe mere
steps from freedom. Maybe, even maybe, he had rescued princess and was trying to bring
her to safety and failed so close to success.

Just as Mgla planned to go there and check ruined remains of his cousin for some usefull
information, horrific thundering roar scared him so hard that he almost faltered. He turned

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as fast as possible, servo in his waist region screaming in protest, checking screens for
information about the exact location of the thing that made that sound. Moments later,
another roar came and he realized that there is no need to calculate exact location.

Roar came directly from passage between tall, almost vertical cliffs three miles away.It was
dark almost like tunnel entrance. Mgla fired signle salvo from his lightning gun directly into
dark chasm. Blinding rail of light cabable of turining stone or metal into vapour blazed as
illuminated the darkness. Nothing but humid stone walls. Laser beam hit the stone
somewhere inside the passage, melting and evaporating tonnes of stone, pushing clouds of
dust and steam out of it. Knowing that he did not hit whatever made that roaring, Mgla
pushed his Knight to full stride, activating shields at maximim capacity. He did not know of
any land animal that lived on this world that was big enough to make sound like that. There
were legends, carried here by the first setllers aeons ago, about giant fire breathing winged
monsters called dragons but those legends came from Outside with first people that arrived
here. They brought them from their misterious home world. There were no dragons on this
world, Mgla was certain of that. That must be some trick made by cultist that kidnapped
Jammersk doughter in order to scare him, take his attention from things that matter.

Mgla did no even manage to end that though when his shield blazed as multiple hits were
annihilated by powerfull energy field. He turned fast, registering more and more hits. Solid
slugs, not energy beam weapons. Primitive but effective if calliber is big enough. All sistems
on full capacity, his Knight scanned the surrounding and moments later located the ambush.
Multiple targets, 15 at least. Using monstrous roaring as distraction, they creeped very close
without Mgla noticing.

They were hiding left and right near the entrance to the passage, covering behind massive
rock boulders. Shots were numerous yet they were useless against his shields.

Even without them, his heavy armour carpace covering every sufrace of hunched form of
war machine Imperial Knight was would take no damage at all. Ambush was badly planned,
their weapons not sufficient to even scratch him. Single well aimd volley of buring light was
all it took. Ambushers, together with stones they used as a cover, were turned to dust and
charred organical remains that smouldered in cold air.

Knowing that time for delicate advance was over, Mgla turned into full speed run toward the
passage entrance. With radar and infrared he quickly checked area in front and on sides,
looking for mines or other ambush. Ground was clear and no living beings could be detected
nearby. He rushed into passage, turoblaser ready and already spinning. There was nothing to
fire upon so he simply contiuned in full stride, covering miles in minutes. At high speed he
had not time to get ready when suddenyl he exited the passage, arriving at deep walley
surrounded by dangerously steep and needle sharp mountains. He stopped as fast as he
could, all systems screaming, barely able to compensate sudden change from full speed to
full stop at such a short time. Damaged paved road led directly from passage exit into the

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bottom of walley. At the end of it there was a very strange looking castle, dark and almost
ruined from that distance. In front of it was being that made tha roar. Finaly, Mgla realized,
he had met his nemesis.

[ VI ]

He knew where he was. Narrow path pawed with reddish stone snaked between giant
trunks of milenia old trees. Forest on both sides of the path was dark, pitch black
impenetrable darkness that can not exist in real world. He was aware that it was dream that
he was stuck into. After he tried to walk he realised one more think – he was shackled.
Touching his left elbow he felt menackle on his right hand and some heavy load too. Tapping
blindly he felt chain and the moment he touched it chain started to glow, faint at first but
brighter with every moment that passed.

Soon, it glowed like molten metal but was barely warm to touch. It was a long chain,
streching into darkness, following the path trough the forest. He tried to pull it but nothing
happened at first, then he realised that he heard something. Almost inaudible voice coming
from the direction in which chain was leading. He pulled again, much stronger now and then
he heard scream that froze his blood. He pulled with all his power now and scream that
followed was itself followed by monstrous roar.

He recognised the voice in that scream. It was her, his beloved one. Abbandonig all fear he
started to run, following the chain, pulling it and mere moments later he realised where this
path was leading.

Graveyard.

He woke up with his heart beating, covered in ice cold sweat, lying on the ground
somewhere deep in the frost covered forest. It was dusk and there was barely some light
remaining left. Knowing what he had to to, he started to walk towards the graveyard. She
was calling him to join her there, he thought. I will die there on her grave, he decided, so I
can be with her forever, as we both dreamed.

It was a long walk and when he arrived it was already night. Graveyard was ancient with
large, gloomy monuments dedicated to people long time gone. There was no fear in him as
he passed thousands of sepulchres. He knew where her family tomb was so he walked
straight there. It was one of the biggest tombs on the graveyard, marked with massive white
marble cube with 4 crying angels carved from black stone and all 4 corners.

He knew that tomb itself was hidden below the masive stone, locked with intricate
mechanism that only family members could open. Knowing that there is no way to go inside
and die next to her coffin, he sat and laeaned on cold marble, took long, strange looking
knife he aquired on the forsaken world Dunja was growing and started to cut veins on his
hands.

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Blood started to flow and soon, darkness arround him started coagulating too. He discarded
it as a simple halutination due to blood loss and continued to patiently wait for death.

Soon, even though his mind was already fading, he realized that something strange is
happening. Darkness first turned to unreal, pitch dark, forest and other graveyard
monuments dissapeared and even sky, clear mere moments ago, was empty, veiled in black.
Then shapes came. In blacknes he started to notice different forms, many small but few of
them were gigantic behemots.

The one he could see with most clarity had a form that shifted in every moment yet one
contextual shape was allways there and it remindedn him on carrion bird that lived in desert
regions in the far East. Yet, there were two giand beaked heads, naked without any feathers
with eyes filled with vortex of void.

“Strong is the chain have you forged“, one head said. „A ritual you have started, mortal“,
second head of the carrion bird said, tiltet to one side. „A ritual you should bring to an end“,
first one finished, both heads turning toward new shape that was forming in coiling darkens.
Buzzing sound penetrated the silence as vast, bloathed form appeared, towering above the
white marble cube. Miasmic stench rolled in thick, worm-like clouds down the mountain of
rotten flesh, its eyes emerald green.

„My minions will not touch her, my worms will not spoil her flesh“, it gurgled in the voice of
a dead. „I will keep her fresh for you, if you finish the ritual, my child...“ it blarred, turning its
head left, toward another form coagulating in the dark.

Iron clad monstrosity, its blood red wings spaning to eternity. Blood started to rain as it
roared.

„You have proven yourself to be worthy of my heed in the years that passed, you worm“ it
roared in a voice made of thunder, endless skulls on its armour making klicking sounds as it
moved. „Many skulls you have brought to me, rivers of blood spilled in honour of the vow
you gave. Not once have you tricked anyone, not once have you stabbed one with a knife
from behind. You cherished the blood spilling while watching it their dying eyes. Strong is
the chain you forged, mortal, for not even axes of my thralls are no able to undone it.“ It
howled.

Finish the ritual, and I will bring her back to you. I will tear her soul from the guts of the
leviathan that is devouring her, choking on the chain you made!“ it finished, raising its giant
axe and smashing the slice in darknes where new figure emerged in horrible parody of birth.

„Pleasures you will have, child“, serpentine figure hissed, its feminine form destilate of all
desires, all obscenity, all the pain and all the joy, all monstrous perversity imaginable and
imaginable. „All you ever wanted and all she ever desired, it will be yours to do and have for
I will bless all your pleasures with the blessing no mortals ever witnessed. Finish the ritual

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and I will bring her back to you, beautifull like she once was, more desirable then you ever
imagined, her flesh warm and fresh for she and thou will no longer fear perishment of age.

Finish the ritual and she will be yours for eternity do to as you please“, it hissed in a voice of
snake.

Still bleeding, barely alive, he whispered.

„But what ritual....“, almost inaudible he was. „What do I...need to do?“

All four forms gained clarity in their appearance, and one by one they spoke.

„Mutilate and enjoy, torture and charge for the pain you suffered, remember me while you
do it“, snakelike feminine form said.

„Bring contagion to ones that rejected you, charge for the love they have taken away that
you deserved, my child, for my love for all my children is endless“, rotten mass with eyes like
green jewels said.

„Kill and maim, mortal, and charge for the shame you suffered. Spill the blood of eight, place
their skull on the grave of your beloved, let their blood paint it red. Remember me and let
them know who slaughtered them“, winged giant said in a voice that shaked the soil
beneath them.

„Kill in the night without moon, mortal“, carrion bird said. „Remember the knowlege you
gained with my blessing and remember their spit on your face. Spill the blood, bring the
skulls, mutilate and finish the ritual. We will honour you and your bellowed one for stong is
the chain you forged. Spill the blood of youngest doughter of a man called Jammersk for he
owns us a great deal. Where you walk death will follow, pestilence and plague will rot your
enemies, your words will worm inside heads of the weak.

Bring them war, make them weaker, reveal in their suffering and soak the ground in their
blood. Find the ones worhty of following you, bring them faith in 4 and eightfold path.!“

„I will do it!, he said. „I will do anything for her, as I vowed I will“ he screamd in horror as his
own almost frozen blood started to shift from a puddle between his legs. Like tentacles it
started to climb over his body and pour trough the wound on his hands back insde, crawling
like worms, black and cold as ice. He screamed in pain as it coiled in his flesh but pain was
soon gone, scars sewn shut only proof that he cut his hand at all. He felt alive for the first
time in many years.

He was completely alone. Managinng to stand up, he turned and raised his hand against the
cold marble, teasing it. Then he turned and started to walk towards the town,not knowing
what came after him, what claws were holding the chain he pulled.Forest started to die
where he passed, birds falling dead from the air.

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Night without moon was tommorow. He had so much to do.

[ VII ]

It was not a dragon after all, just as Mgla expected. It was something far worse, giant in
humanoid form, his skin blood read, armoured in brass plates covered with braided mesh
made of steel chains and skulls, some human, many unrecognizable.

It stood on massive, backward looking hoofed legs, thick, snaking tail covered with bladed
rings coiled aroud them. Wings dark as night, bat-like, were widespread, radiating miasma of
fear, death and rotten blood. Horned head, hunched low like some mocking parody of his
own Imperial Knight ended in mouht filled with row upon row of dirty teeth. Eyes, all four of
them, were yellow and full of hate, burning like ambers. Mgla had no knowlege of what
lifeform that was. He never even heard about something like that, not even in craziest
stories of drunk hunters. Whatever it was, it was very big, somewhat bigger that his Knight,
heavily armoured, winged and armed with giant axe with serrated teeth on its blades. Mgla
looked inside himself, seeking concentration, seeking guidance. His steed was battle ready,
his nuclear heart beating and blazing like the heart of the Sun itself. He raised his chainsword
in challenge to tored beast and it answered, rising his own axe in similar way, roaring in
voice strong like thunder. At the same moment, they starter to advance at each other.
Seconds later, they blades met and world arround them shaked and burned.

„WORTHY OPONENT THIS TIME!“, red beast howled. „NOT LIKE THE LAST FEW, WHO
COVERED AND CRIED UPON BEHOLDING THEIR DOOM!“, it thundered, making atack after
attack, seeking weak spot in Mglas defence. Yet, his oponend was indeed worhy. Althoug
young, Mgla was excelent and gifted warrior. His Imperial Knight accepted him from the first
time Mgla cradled in his throne and from that day they were one mind and one body, part of
whole, avatar of war, living and beating manifestation of power od Machine God.

Monsters attack were beyond powerfull but Mgla managed to block every one of them,
using moments of red beasts rage to make his own advances. Shields of Imperial Knight were
still holding but some damage was already done. Monster suffered heavy blows too.

Massive parts of his armour were missing and gaping wounds were bleeding rivers of rotten,
black blood where tissue was chewed away by cerramite teeth of Mglas chainsword.

After suffering especially damaging blow that almost took away his left hand, red beast
backed few steps. For the first time, Mgla noticed something. From this close, he could see
that monster seemed to fade

„WORTHY INDEED!“ it bellowed in pain yet full of you for the battle as magnificent.

„I MUST CONFESS, MORTAL, THAT CHANCES THAT YOU WIN YOUR PRIZE ARE GROWING
WITH EVERY MOMENT YOU SURVIVE!“.

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„What are you and where is the princess?“ Mgla roared, his voice amplified thousandfold,
using the moment to advance, hitting with chainsword and lightning gun.

Backing few massive steps, red beast loughed.

„FORGIVE ME MORTAL, FOR I HAVE FORGOTTEN TO INTRODUCED MYSELF! AGES HAVE

PASSED WITHOUT A FIGHT WORTY OF REMEMBERING FOR MOST OF THE THAT CAME TO
CHALLENGE ME WERE NOTHING BUT CRYING BAGS OF MEAT AND BLOOD, THEIR SKULLS
ALMOST UNWORTHY FOR MY MASTERS THRONE.

BEHOLD, MORTAL, THE GLORY OF MY MASTER KHORNE! I AM BUT HIS THRALL YET I
KNEELED BEFORE HIS THRONE AND I IMBEDED SKULLS UNDER HIS HOOFS. I AM DIRAK,
DEAMON PRINCE OF KHORNE! DIRAK THE BETRAYED ONE! HEAR MY NAME MORTAL, FOR I
AM THE ONE YOU WILL HAVE TO KILL IF YOU WANT TO RELEASE THAT POISONOUS BITCH
FROM OUR MUTUAL PRISON.“

With those words still upon his lips, deamon Dirak attacked with full force. Mgla was
confused, not able to understand what was happening. What is deamon? Who is Khorne?
What the deamon ment when he mentioned poisonous bitch?! Few moments of confusion
were used by deamon Dirak with direly effect. With extreme force deamon slashed his axe
into side of Imperial Knight Luror, penetrating the powerfull ion shield and hitting his heavily
armoured shoulder. Atttack was so powerfull that it got Mgla out of balance. Using all the
mental power he had he somehow managed not to fall, using inertia of axe attack to swing
on the right. In the same moment, he realized that the tip of lis lightning canon was poiting
directly into the chest of deamon that was struggling with axe that refused to unclog from
thick adamantium plate.

Over the umbilical connection with his throne he got information that power cables to the
gun intself were already beyond repair but there was enough energy in condensers of the
gun itself for a single shot. Knowing that there will not be second chance he decided to use
it. Deamon realised what is going to happen but it was already too late. Blazing rays of light
and arc of electricity burned his raged face miliseconds before the coil of energy burned
trough his chest, instantly vaporising everying on its path.

Deamons was thrown almost hundred feet away and only sheer luck left Imperial Knight
standing, leaning on his chainsword that was impaled into stony soil. Right side of his armour
was almost red hot, residual electricity crackling in arches into ground. Ion shields were
gone, completely destroyed, their generators unable to cope with energy discharge this
powerfull at so close distance. Pain Mgla felt was tremendous. His felt like his head is about
to explode, eyes burning. All sockets for umbilical connection with his throne were sore,
flesh and skin arround them burned. His ancestors, their shadows now part of his Knight
were screaming in unison.Slowly he regained control over his Knight and with his joints

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creaking and protesting, he managed to stand upright. Over the next few minutes wind
cleared the dust and Mgla realised that the castle he saw when he arrived was gone. Not
ruined or destroyed but completely gone, just like it had never existed the the first place.
Where he stood was now a low mound and at the top of it a simple, old and deformed tree
with black leafs and few golden fruits. Under the tree there was a simple stony altair, cowled
figure standing next to it. At the altair was a bounded and bloody naked female

[ VIII ]

He first thought was that it was too late. Yet, knowing that it would be beter to retrieve body
than not to do nothing, he coaxed his metallic steed into full run. With his long range
weapon now gone , all he had was eighteen feet of chainsword and heavy bolter mounted
on top of his hunched back.

Rushing at the unmoving , chanting cowled figure he swinged the blade, lowering it with
enough power to cut down the anything. Blade hit the ground, chewing stone and soil.
Figure was gone, simply vanishing in the air. Mgla was very close to the female now. She was
completely naked, bound to the stone altari by rusty chains. Although covered in blood she
seemed to be breathing. Raising his weapon, he scanned the surrounding for any threaths,
then did the only thing he could. Uncoupling from his throne, he opened the armoured
hatch and left his Knight. Standing on his own legs for the first time in many days, he felt
strongly disoriented. Sudden severance of connections inbetween him and Knight was bad
for itself. This place was so wrong, he thought. It felt wrong, smelled wrong.

That tree had something to do with it. It was just standing there but it looked unnatural.
Black leafs, glistening with moisture and that strange looking yellow fruits, ancient and
deformed trunk, surrounded by light, barely visible pink mist. He armed himself with plasma
gun and powersword his father gave him the morning before departure and approached,
barely able to walk straight. Few steps away from altair, he remembered something and
quickly turned back, took piece of thin insulation foil that flapped from damaged armour on
the left leg. Finally he approached female and covered her with foil. He never met or saw her
before but who else could she be? Princess was kindapped by some mysterious ancient cult,
taken to northern mountains. He just killed some monster that tried to stop him, the saviour
by oath, to get to the castle that was now gone. There was some cowled figure near the
altair and there was naked female on the altair itselt.

Being confused was not even close to what Mgla felt now. After all, he was here, red
monster was dead, its large corpse still smouldering, releasing horrible stench, she was here
so he simply decided to go for it. First he checked if she was allive and indeed she was
although her breathing was very shallow and weak. Using plasma gun he cut trough the
chains, blushing as he covered her naked body into foil as best he could and then carried her
to the Knight. There was not enough place to be comfortable in the thronechamer but it will
have to do. He tore few pieces of foil and insulation pads from opened wounds on the

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Knights armour, made some sort of bed for her just at the side of his throne and lowered her
there. Moments before closing the hatch, he felt something strange, something like a
calling. Again fully opening the hatch, he peeped outside.

Cowled figure was standing outside, holding hostage what seemed to be princess in distress.
It looked exacty like the girl he just accomodated into his thronechamber although this one
was fully dressed in gown adorned with Neblinum heraldry. She cried in fear, curved blade
pressed on her throat, pleadging for help.

„You saved the wrong one, stupid boy!“, cowled figure hissed. Coils of pink mist were
crawling on the heavy leather of its cloak like tendrills of some sear creature.

„Nothing but a simple peasant sacrified for its blood“, it continued. „Come and rescue the
princess if you dare, child, or are you coward just like all your ancestors?“. Mgla was
completely lost now. What in the name of Sun God was happening here?! Unsheating his
sword, he readied for combat. He saved one girl and it had no meaning for him if she was
indeed some peasant. Cultist was holding another girl with a knife at her throat and Mgla
was no ready to allow it to contiune. Praying silently for guidance to Sun God, he bellowed
the warcry of his family and attacked. Cowled figure quickly threw the girl away and blocked
the attack.

Slash after slash, Mgla attacked and blocked. He considered himself to be decent swordsman
and powerblade his father gave him was a very dangerous weapon. Yet, his oponent
managed to block every single attack. On the other hand, Mgla also managed to hold quite
well. Fight went on and on and Mgla already started to feel fatigue. During all that slashing
he had no oportunity to see any hint on the face of his oponent but something felt strange,
almost if it fought just to prolong he fight. Cowled one was human, Mgla was sure of that. It
was fast, very fast and Mgla started to feel that some of its attacks were almost held down,
as if not really ment to kill. Sometimes they even felt weirdly familiar. Dissmissing all that, he
pressed on. Single moment of lowered concetraciont was all it took and Mgla did not miss
once the chance presented itself. After blocking especialy vicious attack at his stomach, Mgla
used the closenes to hit the cowled one with his knee and then, while he was bent loosing
air, with the pommel of the sword into back of the head.

One short jump back was all it took to gain some space. Lightning fast swing arched and cut
the cowled figer across the chest. It scremed hard and backed away. Blood was gushing from
deep, large wound that cut him from left soulder to he right hip, pink tendrills covering its
body. Next moment it was completely gone. Moment before the cowled figure was gone,
Mgla saw something that froze his blood. Shocked, he backed few steps, powerblade still
active. Gentle touch at his cheek woke him up from the shock.

„My rescuer“, she said with voice so sensual, so gentle, it warmed his heart and banished al
the pain, fear and confusion. He was hungry moment ago, agonized, his limbs burning from

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fatigue. All that was gone now. All there was now was her face, her beautifull eyes, her wet
lips. She was far beyond beautifull. Nothing so beautifull should walk ammong mortals. Mgla
was completely lost now in those hypnotic eyes.

„Take me away from this cursed lands“, she said. „Take me to your home and I will give you
a reward, pleasures unthinkable, you will be my king and I will be your queen. Just release
me, take me accross the menhir border and everything you...“

She never finshed her words as large toothed axe split her in two, goring her beautfull form
into heap of chewed flesh. Blade itself missed Mgla by inches.

„OH NO YOU WILL NOT!!“, red giant roared in defiance. It could barely old itself upright,
horrible wound in his chest gaping feets accross. His wings broken and thorn, he raised his
axe and hit the already corpse again and again. Mgla backed, shocked, walking backwards
toward his Knight. He killed her, he thought! He killed the princess!

He climbed back into the Knight and connected himself with alter ego of his steed, ready to
avenge the one he just rescued and saw brutally killed.

Powering his chainsword and only ranged wepon left, he was ready to go there and avenge
the death of princess and finish that red monstrosity. All that time, red giant was still
slashing with ans axe into the puddle of blood and mud that, mere moments ago, was
beautifull princess. Violent tremor stopped the Mglas attack as ground erupted on the place
where remains of what he thought was princess were gored. Snakelike monstrosity,
horrifying yet sensual, emerged from the bloody remains. It had the face of killed princess,
body ammalgaiton of snake and overly vulgar forms of female. It was obscenity destiled
thousandfold, every part of its body slaved to pleasure and pain, to excess and decadence.
What used to be angelic form of beautifull, inocent young female turned into absolute
oposite.

As soon as snakelike monstrosity emerged it started to fight the red giant. They clashed in
frenzy, with hate that eclipsed anything Mgla coud ever imagine. Completely lost in trying to
tear each other apart, they both completely forgot about Mgla, his Knight and peasant girl
that was meant to be sacrified for who knows what means.

Using the oportunity, Mgla rushed to Luror, climed to his thronechamber, closed tha hatch
and powered the Knight. He felt that ancient war machine was very angry, shadows of his
ancestors,psychic echoes of long dead pilots, were mocking him for his foolishness. Never
leave your Knight during fight you welp, they screamed at him. Mgla knew they were right
but he had no choice. Doing everything he could, he risked his life and his Knight in order to
save the princess but ultimately failed, being able only to resque some unknown girl.
Imperator Jammersk warned him about what will happen. Neblinum will fall into dissaray
and probably civil war. Whatever side wins that war it will not be good for his own
homeland. War will spill from Neblinum and ignite festering hate and old wounds between

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all neighbouring countries. Mgla knew he failed and decied to at least get out of this hell
allive, go home and provide his firepower into preparing for war that will definitely come.
Forcing his Knight into full stride,he rushed towards the border. At the exit of the narrow
passage another ambush was waiting for him but he paid them no attention. With his ion
shields gone every shot could be felt, scouring at the thic armour made doing no significant
damage. Near the menhir border, even above all the noise damaged Knight made,
thundering sounds of battle between red giant and snakelike monstrosity could be heard.
Steps away from the border, Mgla saw that Jammersk was still there, waiting. Imperial
Knight crashed trough the border, cousing violent explosion of light, arches of unknown
power crackling from menhir to menhir.

It was like pushing trough some kind of wall. Knights armour was burning, red hot.

With all power he had and even beyoind that, Mgla pushed, feeling the pain of scouring fire
on Knights armour like it was his own. Finaly he got trough and by inertia ran for almost five
hundreed feet before being able to stop, then uncoupled from his throne and got out, falling
to the ground, hardly able to stand at all. He could feel burning heat of his knight and
cracking sounds of tons of metall slowly cooling on the breeze. Gone were the flags and
heraldry that adorned the mighty machine. It was ruin now, burned, damaged, covered in
sooth, giant wound on his pauldron leaking lubricants.

It was all in vain and that hurt him more than all the wounds he suffered. Tremor of heavy
steps woke him up from the agony of self pity. Jammersk has approached and Mgla looked
up into Imperial Knight of the on he failed. How to tell him what happened? Soon, the man
himself approched him. He was proud, powerfull man, very old but age did not take the edge
of him. He wore light armour, white hair trimmed short. His face was a face of ruler,
imperator, face of man that did not tolerate failure. Ha came at Mgla and fell at knees in
front of him.

„What happened my son?“, he asked, his voice shaking.

At first, Mgla could not find the words. He was so ashamed, so sorry about what he could
not achieve. Burden of horrors that will fall upon this world was too much for him to bear.

„I rescued the girl, my liege but it was not...“ he said pointing to his Knight but did not
manage to finish. Jammersk jumped and ran, climbing into the thronechamber. Mglas heart
broke. Jammersk believed that he rescued the princess, he realised. What will happen when
he sees that it was a wrong girl...Whatever it may be, Mgla decided to accept his destiny. He
lowered his head, expecting to be killed as a punishment, hearing the steps of Jammersk
comming back. Mighty Imperator was standing in front of him. Mgla looked up and saw a
sword in his hands. Glistening blade flew up and down at Mgla. It stopped at his shoulder.

„I, Imperator Jammersk the Second, the second in line of my ancestors to bear that name,
hereby declare the oath your ancestor King Kalmann gave fullfilled. Circle is broken, my child

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was brought back to me wounded but alive. Stand up, Knight Mgla, for I give your name back
to you as you earned it. Carry it with pride for you did what no one alse managed before
you. Thank you my son and know that my family is in eternal debt to you know. If you ever
need help, call and Knights of House Jammersk will answer.

Mgla slowly rose to his feet, confused again.

„The girl...I saved her but..but..“ he said, looking towards his Knight where wounded girl was
still cradled in hastily made bed by his throne.

„Yes, that is my doughter, Prince Mgla!“, Jammersk said. „You saved her! What happend
there at all? Days passed but i waited, having faith in you. I heard terrible souds and can
even hear them now. One day, when you recover, you will have to tell me about what is that
place.“

Mgla turned toward the mountains. Border was flaring now, menhirs glowing in eternal dusk
under the thick clouds. Monstrous roars and screams could be heard comming from there.

„Yes, my liege, I will tell you one day but, believe me, I am not sure about what i saw.
Nothing is normal there. I saw thing I cannot explain, heard things i could not understand.
There are forces behind that border that must never be allowed to come trough.“

Jammersk came closer and put his hand on Mglas shoulder.

„Now you saw what lies behind the border, there is something you must know young prince.
Very few know the story. Very long time ago there was a city there in the mountains, very
rich trading center. Its name is lost now. Something happened there and everything was lost.
I know only what my father told me. Heavens were torn and monsters came trough the
wounds. Plagues raged and killed everything that lived. People tore each other in frenzy and
extasy. My ancestor, grand-grandfather of Jammersk the First lead great army to cleanse the
horrors that have befallen the lost city yet when they arrived close to where we stand now
they found this border made of menhirs, horrors trapped behind it. Twelve tall, thin hooded
figures were waiting for them and gave a warning. Border is to be guarded, menhirs to be
protected from any harm. They said, in their strange, singing voice, that they managed to
stop the invasion of monsters into this world but at dire price. My ancestor pledged his
service into protecting the border and mysteriosu figures then simply vanished. Do not ask
more for that is all I know. Come now , young knight. Let us leave this cursed place

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Lost sons
[I]

Two gods of war were standing next to each other, one in black, other in snow white artisan
armour fitting to their power. Sky above them was streaked with endless black trails of
transport ships of all sizes and types, largest of them disgorging cohorts of Imperial Guard in
their hundreds of thounsands, smaller ones yet far more deadly and armoured bringing the
last od Astartes to join the commencing battle. Rows upon rows of netly distributed units
were covering plains left and right from the low hill where their lords, two Primarchs were
standing, whole two legions of Emperors finest worriers, sixty thousands killing machines
readying themself for carnage soon to be unleashed.

Air itself was vibrating and shockwaves could be felt in stony earth beneath them as three
gigantic transporters were lowering themself from orbit nearby, defying the gravity in their
immensity, carrying the most potent weapons Imperium of Man had to offer, Imperator
class Titans of Legio Vulturum, the last of them to come and join their brethren. Columns of
tanks streched to the horizon followed by heavy ordnance of artillery units. Their long
barrels heaved like a grass in the wind, calibrating for maximum range. Imperial Knights and
Warhound Titans were scouting area directly in front of Primarchs, tiny from this distance
yet monstrous deadly machines.

It was an armada rare to be seen before and only to be eclipsed in years to come.

„A sight to take your breath away, is it no my brother Nigrum?“, asked the white armoured
Primarch.

Black Primarch was silent for a moment, analysing disposition of their Legions, Titans and
other forces. Then he looked directly in front of them, far away where their enemy was
gathering their all their might for a last stand, a battle to end it all. For ordinary human it was
to far to discern any particular details yet for a Primarch a sight was clear and majestic in all
details, although horrific to behold.

Whole horizont, as far as even Primarch could see, was swarming with enemy forces. Milions
of smaller units, deadly and armoured foot soldiers clad in shiny carpaced armour reflected
light from a dying red giant that shone in the sky. Behind them, bigger units could be seen.
His superhuman abilites allowed him to calculate and asses their numbers.

There was at least ten thounsand of them and every single one was a fair rival to revered
Dreadnought warrior of whom he had only little less than one thousand, carefully
distributed all across the armada to serve as a heavy support unit for Astartes. Even further
away there were shapes hard do discern, lost in the haze of the red star. Titanic

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biomechanical forms that only ultraheavy weapons of Imperium of Man had any chance to
fight on even turns. Whole of Legio Vulturis was there for him and his brother to command
yet he knew it will not be enough. Imperator class Titan was a weapon of staggering
potential and destructive force yet the enemy had units that eclipsed all of that. Even before
landing of full Imperial force they were warned about that. This was one of the last battles in
this war and there was nowhere to retreat now, not for mIperium and not for the enemy.
Only to be rivaled by Ordinatus grade weapons, titanical Rangda Osseiovores were comming,
their advance nearly unstoppable.

„Yes my brother Alba“, black Primarch answered. „A rare sight indeed although not pleasant
at all.“ He added with worry in his voice.

„Forces we are to confront here are far greater then previously expected, at least by what I
can see“

„Indeed so, my dear brother, yet is is hardly a reason to be so melancholic, or is it the heat of
this unpleasant red sun what is bothering you, considering the sheer blacknes of your
armour?“, white Primarch responded, allwas so childish and lighthearthed.

Primarch Nigrum chuckled.

„Allways ready to make some fun of me my bother, are you not? Well, you are right,
although it is not time for jokes now. As we speak our oh so stiff and knighthly brother and
his forces are fighting already. What is the current situation, brother Nebulum?“Primarch
adressed heavily armoured figure standing behind him. It was an Astartes clad in
completely black armour but for helmet, which was snow white. Additional mechanical
crane like arm on his back defined him as Techmarine.

„According to latest vox transmission we received, Dark Angles legion led by Primarch Lion El
Johnson is suffering extremely high losses on the world of Casius where battle has
commenced mere standard solar hours ago.“

„Any information on enemy forces?“ Primarch Alba asked.

Brother Nebulum bowed towards Primarch before speaking.

„Yes, my lord. According to auspex scans from orbit, stealth drones images and information
gathered directly out of vox traffic from battlefield of Casius and comparing that information
with all data we aquired trough similar means, I can calculate that forces Primarch Lion and
his Legion are fighting right now are 29.86 percent smaller than those our combined Legions
are about to confront here.

In additon, I have just received most recent estimations of our Dark Angels legion losses. At
the moment, they have permanently lost at least 17.896 battle brothers.“

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Both Primarch were carefuly listening and then looked at each other for a moment.

„Well then, Alba, let us fight“, Primarch Nigrum said.

Primarch Alba, towering figure that dwarfed even Astartes in full Terminator armour,
stepped forward. All eyes of all the Imperial forces were upon him at that singular moment.

„Battle Sister, relay command. Commence battle!“ he said. Feminine figure clad in armour of
unique style and beauty, tall as Primarch himself, raised her hand with slender power sword
in it and then let if fall in swift arched blow. Titans answered with earth shatering blows and
they walked, followed by milions of best warriors Imperium had to offer. Both Primarchs
donned their helmets, Alba black one and Nigrum white one, honouring each other since the
day they met in battle.

„It is done, my lord. Let us go fight to win or to die like a heros, my dear little brother.“, she
said looking at the Primarch Alba with a voice of an angel.

She indeed was one. An Angel of Death.

[II]

Red singlight was shimering on cobalt blue carpaced armour of Rangdan heavies as they
swarmed the battlefield like a unstopable tide. Whole sky, soil, earth, air itself was burning.
Seismic shocks revebrated trough the planet istelf as two forces clashed on continent
spaning front. Titans of Imperator class walked like gods of ancient legends, burning
everything in front of them in cleansing plasma fires, their steps slow but unyielding. Smaller
Titans of Warhound class were runing like rabid beasts, followed by stoic Imperial Knights
clad with flags of their ancestors, clashing with superheavy units of Rangdans counterparts,
six leged monstosities of unclear structure, neither full mechanical nor biological, armed
with exotic weapons that distorted reality itself, fired balls of unknown matter that radiated
black light into cohorts of Astartes, tanks and Guard.

Thousands died with every single minute, Guard having the heaviest losses, their armour
completely unable to protect them from destructive force of ranged weapons or monstrous
powerd blades of Rangan light infantry, armoured yet lightning fast humanoid warriors of
size comparable to Astartes in full Terminator armour. Rangdan were the enemy of power
unprecended in Imperial history. Thousands of xenos races of various power were
discovered and completey annihilated all accros the growing Imperium , many of them
proved themself to be worthy foe. Yet none, not even Aeldar with their superb technology
or brutal Orks with their endless hordes could in fraction compare with level of threath that
Rangdan presented. Thousands of Imperial worlds were razed to toxic, sterilised chunks of

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rock, untold trilions on humans exterminated like vermin with world burning weapons from
moon-sized ships of Rangdan hegemony. Tens of thousands of Astartes died trying to halt
the cobalt blue tide, whole Legions led by sons of Emperor, transhuman Primarch fought day
and night in battlefield that spanned whole Segmentum of galaxy. Even Emperor himsell
fought and bled, leading fleet of unimaginable power from his unique battleship Bycephalus.
Titan Legions, led by Imperator class Titans walked across hundreds of worlds and thounsand
of battlefields, Ordinatus grade weapons ravaged whole continents in order to destroy single
Rangda Osseiovor, ultra-heavy unit of Rangdan that shadowed even Imperator Titans. Whole
industrial output of tens of thousands of Forge Worlds, agriworlds, hive cities, milions upon
milions of Guardsmen were sent into meat grinder.

Whole spare power of Imperium of Man was redirected into single goal, defeating single
enemy. Borders of Imperium burned as Crusade expeditions fough xenos and rebel worlds
yet every single iota of power, armour, ammunition, food, artilery, every single Battle
Brother that could be spared, every battleship that was not neccessary was diverted and
sent into fight to stop and reverse Rangdan incursion.

Untold sacrificies were made, first bilions and then trilions died, blooming worlds were
turned to cinders. Primarchs fought with every weapon they had, even with their bare
hands, nexto to Astartes Battle brothers or even ordinary guardsmen. Emperor was there
too, walking among his sons, his armour shining like a burning Terran Sun.

Slowly yet surely, Rangdan progress was halted and then, grinding bone and blood and life,
with pure power of will of every single warrior that fought for Imperim, it was diverted.
Finally, Imperium was on offensive. It will all end here on this forsaken, dead worlds. Rangan
will perish or Imperium will brake, never to rise again.

[III]

Only the ones that spent their life fighting knew one strange fact. Battle was like a living
organism, constantly evolving, changing. Some could learn some of its customs, few could
even predict what will happen in moments that follow. Yet, to truly master the battle one
had to be more than fighter. One had to become part of it, essential part of that moving
organism that destroyed itself and to find way to lead its evolution towards his own goals.
The only other option was to die or to be led by someone more capable than yourself.

As soon as Primarchs joint their legions they were separated. Blac clad Nigrum was lost
among ranks of his sons while Alba led Terminators of his own Honour Guard as a wedge
into the thickest ranks of Rangdan Heavies. His sister, being one of the kind in whole known
Universe was also there. She was nothing but blur now, moving too fast to be seen by mortal
eyes, sowing death and leaving runied corpses behind.

Battle went on and on. Thousands died with every moment. Rangdans cared not for their
dead and stomped them into mud. Imperials tried their best not be the same. Cries of

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Apothecaries, clad in distincive white armour, could be heard even above the raging
thundering of battle. They hurried everywhere, trying their best not to lose progenoids of
their fallen brothers yet many were lost, butchered to pieces by meele weapons of cobalt
blue xenos stormtroopers or evaporated by energy weapons of heavier units.

Hours later, brothers met again. Their armours were scared, burned, bloody, dented and
could tell legends of duels they fought and won. Yet, the met for reason they could not
undersand.

„Did you hear that too?“, Alba asked, looking toward nearby cliffs that bordered the plains
where battle was fought.

Primarch Nigrum was in horrible condition. One of his swords was almost broken by direct
hit of some unknown energy weapon, his armour completely devoid of any filigrant heraldry
he had on it this morning. It still glowd from shallow craters where he suffered hits.

„Yes, I heard it too but can not tell what it was.“

„A call, invitation, pledge? Someone is asking help, if I am not wrong.“, Alba answered. Hours
ago, he heard it for the first time. He was clearing the way for Imperator Class Titan to attack
one of the Osseiovores, smashing Rangdan Heavies that were burning trough the voidshields
of revered Titan.

Voice came directly into his head, he heard it not trough his ears. It was not human. First
time it was just strange noise but the voice came again and again. It was asking something,
called for him to come to the cliffs, he realised. Alba dissmissed it at first but it was
persistant. Finaly, after many hours, he decided to come and see for himself. He did not
arrived allone, for his brother came too just moments later.

„It is comming from there.“ Nigrum said, pointing toward the wall of the cliff. There was
nothin to be seen there, just plain stone wall. Battle was still raging but it was miles away.
Not a single living being could be seen anywhere nearby.

They approached the wall. Still nothing. Alba cycled trough various visions, sending radar,
infrared, ultraviolet, ultrasound and many others. What they thought was stone cliff was not
a cliff at all but perectly round hole made by some unknown tool. Simple cloak was hiding it
from a plain sight.Together they steped forward trough the clokad and enterd the tunnel.
Walls were smooth and dry and it was pitch dark. They both switched to infrared and moved
on very carefully. Soon, they found the end of the tunnel. It was mettalic wall with iris
shaped door in the middle. Tunnel near the door itself was illuminated by 4 hovering white
spheres.

„Enemy!“, Alba voxed. Indeed, two Rangdan Heavies were standing guard by the door. They
readied their weapons but moments before they opened fire voice came again and now they

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heard it both at the same time. It was massive, thundering voice of some powerfull being
now.

„NO!“ it cried.

„THEY WILL NOT HARM YOU! LOOSE NO MORE TIME, HURRY!“ it urged. Suspicious, Alba
moved from dark. Two towering xenos warriors, bigger and more massive even than
Dreadnought, were still and unmoving. Nigrum approached too but nothing happened. Steps
away from the door they both realised that xenos were watching them. Each of them had
only one big, white eye on their armour and it was fixed on Primarchs, slowly following
them. Next moment iris shaped door opened with low hiss. They led further but not into
stony tunnel. This was some sort of artificial xenos structure, both Primarchs realised. A
xenos base of some sort and they were both lured inside. Knowing that is too late do go back
now, they continued. Soon, tunnel ended with another iris door.

„I WILL OPENT THE DOOR NOW FOR YOU! ONCE YOU ENTER, HESITATE NOT. KILL IT ANY
WAY YOU KNOW, JUST KILL IT. HESITATE NOT FOR IT MAY BE TOO LATE IF YOU DO!“ voice
came again,just a whisper now.

Primarch readied their weapons. Nigrum held his heavy bolter upright, Alba his sword,
absolutely not knowing what awaits them. Next moment, door opened. Large chamber
stretched away into darkness, its walls and ceilings lost in distance. Floor was completely flat
and featureless. In the middle of the chamber was something they could not ever imagine.
Gigantic hexapod being clad into crystaline cobalt armour was lying on the floor, massive
head chained into some strange aparatus, gigantic legs held by massive clamps. Directly by
its head was a low dais. Small, ordinary human sized hooded figure was standing there, its
hands pointing toward the giant hexapod. Thin tentacles streched from its hands and
penetrated the head of cobalt xenos. Hooded figer was violently shivering while hexapod
was still like a stone when Alba notices some movement on its head. Thick plate of crystaline
armoure slighty moved and both Primachs spotted big, white eye.

„KILL IT! KILL IT!“ it screamed into their heads. Alba reacted first. One massive jump was all
it took for him to come into sword range to the hooded figure. Moment later, single slash
was enough and its head was rolling on the floor. He continued to maim the body, cutting it
into pieces. His powersword burned the body until it was just pile of smouldering, stinking
gore.

Psychic scream that followed brought both Primachs on their knees. Giant hexapod
screamed and howled, its psychic voice tearing trough the souls of brothers. It was scream of
pain, of grief, of horror and repentance. Nigrum managed to stand up and poing his weapon
to the head of xenos being. Moment before he fired his vox cracled into life with thousands
of messages.

„MY LORD PRIMACHS, RANGDAN FORCES ARE FALLING BACK!! THEY CEASED ALL FIRE!!“

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Vox hails came in thousands, asking for guidance, for orders. What should they do now, they
asked. Fall back too, hold position, push further and commence total anihiliation of xenos, as
ordered before?

Scream suddeny ended and Primachs stood up. Titanc henox slowly moved, breaking
massive chains and clamps that held it. It was so massive that it could never move outside of
this chamber, Alba realised. Almost too massive to move at all.

Giant white eye opened in full and looked Primarchs.

„LET US END THIS MADNESS, CHILDREN OF THE GOLDEN GOD!“, it said.“FINALLY FREE, I
CALLED OF MY CHILDREN. DO THE SAME FOR THERE IS NO MORE NEED FOR THIS HORROR
TO CONTINUE.“

It was a Queen, Nigrum and Alba realised. Master of all Rangand on this world and maybe
even beyond.

„What are we going to do brother?“ Nigrum asked. Alba was looking at xenos biotitan, then
at the hacked and burned corpse of hooded being he just killed.

„What was that thing?“ he asked Queen.

Slowly moving, giant being lowered its head until it was at level with Primarch.

„I see you are not familiar with this species“, it said. Using one of its six legs, it played with
severed head and then moved it toward Primarchs.

„Look and behold one of the greatest horrors universe has to offer“.

Alba and Nigrum looked at the head, removing the hood that was still atached. What they
saw was enough to make them sick. It was not real head at all but more like some sort of
clogged mass of slithering tentacles, worms or maggots. It had no eyes, mouth or any other
recognisable form.

„What is this thing?!“, Alba asked again with disgust. He and his brother saw many terrible
things and untold xenos species, inteligent or ferral but this was beyond anything theye ever
saw. Thing so repugnant, so digusting and alien should never exist.

„That thing there is member of species you and your brethern should hope never to meet...“
Queen spoke to their minds, looking at them with giant, mily white eye. It spoke again then.

„Long time ago, when our two races first met each other, me and my kin realised that you
are agrssive species locked in eternal conquest, allways hungry for more. Althout powerfull,
We decided not to vage war but to fall back. We are numerous but we do not seek glory or
new teritories beyond what we need for survival. We fell back into far reaches of galaxy and
for eons you did not follow. Then, not so long time ago, something happened. Some of my kin

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changed and started to ask for war. It is not in nature of my species to be fragmented as We
are interconected and share one so great concern arose. For a while, we did not realise what
was happening until the unimaginable moment some of our kin turned upon their own
species. Interspecies war tore at systems and untold bilions perished for nor clear reason, as
it seemed.

After a while We discovered what is going on. Another species, parasytes, mind-worms,
infiltrated Us, turning Us upon each other, upon other species. Making Our species commit
genocyde of unimaginable scale. We fough, we ran and hid but worms followed. I was one of
the last that stayed pure but ultimately worms found their way and infiltrated my kin, my
offspring and ultimately Me. We never wanted war against your species but they made us. I
fought and fought for ages untill a chance emerged. Worm was too distraced in battle,
gorging upon all the misery, death and suffering it borought upon Us and you. I found
receptive minds and called. You came and released me. Stop this war, stop the warriors of
yours as We have stopped our. There is no need for war. Let Us go into the Great Void for we
will never come back...“

Nigrum and Alba looked at each other. Unlike some of their brothers Primarchs, they were
not powerfull psykers but they had some powers and were receptive. Somehow, listening to
that giant xenos being, they knew that what it told was true. This whole war was a mistake, a
ruse made by unknown and endlessly maliciuos Xenos species. It wanted war for no other
reason but to destroy other species and devour the remains.

„This being here...“ Nigrum asked, pointing to the shifting mass of maggots at the floor.
„What is it called?“

Xenos Queen turned slowly towards black clad Primarch.

„They call themself Slaught. As far as We know, there are not many of them. Also, nor We or
any other species We met knows where are these thing are comming from. We Rangdan are
old species. We survived the great War that burned the Void endless eons ago, when
Machines fought the Cold Ones. We survived the great War that Machines vaged upon their
Gods. We survived becouse we did not fought any of those wars, no more than necessary to
defend our own systems. We fled and hid and slept for eons becouse we knew what War is.
We fought wars once and learned the true face of It so our elders decided We will never
again commence war. Yet these worms made Us do what we sought never to do again.
Children of Golden God,be warned. Whatever you do, wheter you let Us go or you destroy Us
as we may deserve, be warned. We saw into the mind of the worm. Not much, but enough.
Worm has gnawed its way into your species as well. Be warned for it will bring a War upon
you, one that you will fight against brothers.“

Primarchs Nigrum and Alba fell silent for a while. They removed their helmets, looking at
each other.

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„Brother...“, Alba said. Nigrum remained silent. He answered with a simple nod.

[IV]

Blazing in the red light of the nearby star, Bychepalus, unique in it glory and power, floated
above the dead world that was still burning. Fleet of unimaginable power was neatly
distributed all arround him. Mighy battleships of Dark Angels, Vyka Fenryka, whole
Exploratory and Exterminatory fleet of Adeptus Mechanicus, vast Titan carrier ships, untold
barges and other smaller warships. Less than a day ago, all of the power now concetrated
and inert there in that gathering was vaging war. Now it waited. Something that nobody
could ever imagine was happening.

Directly in front of Imperial fleet led by Emperors personal ship Bychepalus, two Imperial
fleets were standing guard. Both were coloured in black and white for they were fleets of
two brother Primarchs. Two gods of war that waged every war and conquest together, their
two fleets forming.

Far behind them, disc shaped objects were slowly rising trough the atmosphere of the dead
world below. Hundred miles in diameter, they were like moving continents. Motherships of
Rangdan, the last three that existed.

[V]

Three figuers in full ceremonial and battle ready armour arrived in front of the massive door
that protected the bridge of mighty battleship Bychepalus. Two giants clad in gold were
standing guard. Without word, they moved aside and the door opened.

Blazing figure clad in golend artificer armour, giant and the most powerfull human ever to
exist, Emperor was waiting for them, sitting on the throne upon a raised dais. On the right
side of the Throne their brothers were standing still, their faces locked and unreadable.
Great Wolf was there., draped in skins and skulls, executioner, his father loyal wolf. Beside
him, dark and brooding as allways, was Lion. On the left side, Alpharius, the Hydra, the snake
among snakes, his helmet on as allways. Up on the dais, next to Emperor, four golden
Custodes, unmoving and mysterious.

Primarchs Nigrum, Alba and Albas sister, Lamashtu came closer and kneeled before the
Throne. Nothing happened for a while and the whole room was silent as grave.

Emperor stood up from the throne and slowly came down.

„You dare question my direct orders, Primarchs?“, he asked, his voice burning trough the
souls of kneeling children of his.

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Alba was first that dared to speak.

„Father...“

Emperors voice thundered and shaked the Bychephalus.

„I AM NOT YOUR FATHER!! I AM YOUR EMPEROR!“ he roared, air cracking arround him. His
eye were burning.

„Emperor, we stopped war! There was no need to continue and send more to death! We
discovered the true reason why Rangdan commenced this war and removed it“, Nigrum
burst.

Emperor turned towards him.

„The true reason? What are you talking about?“

Alba stood and removed box he carried in a pouch on his belt.

„Look, my Emperor!“ he said, showing the object. Emperor came closer. It was small stasis
box that contained the severed head of slithering xenos.

„What is this thing?“, he asked.

„Rangdan Queen explained that this is Slaught, formerly uknown xenos species, capable of
shapeshifting and infiltrating any other species or force. They infiltrated Rangdan and made
them go to war for their unkown reasons. As soon as we destroyed this being, Rangdan
Queen ordered all their forces to stop fighting. We did the same, deciding to spare our
forces from unecessary losses.“

„You decided, against MY direct order, to spare xenos? All xenos are to be destroyed,
annihilated, purged! They destroyed hundreds of worlds and you decided to spare them?!“

Nigrum stopped Alba from answering.

„All they did was not of their free will! True enemy is this Slaught. Rangdan did everything
they could to evade us, knowing our policy of xenocide. They never wanted war! What
should we do now? Slaughter them while they stand there? They would not even defend
themself, knowing what they did! I will not do it for there is no honour in mindless
slaughter.“

Emperor looked and Nigrum with unimaginable anger. Alba checked the other present
Primarchs. Lion and Russ held their hand at pommels of their swords. Alpharius was still like
statue, just like Custodes. Lamashtu was still kneeling but he knew how she felt.

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„You will obey me!“ he roared. „Nothing but tools you are and still you dare come here, dare
putting Imperial fleet between righteous fury of annihiliation and that xenos, allowing them
to escape?!“

„We are not mindless tools, Emperor!“, Alba answered, furious. „Nor we are mindless
killers! I will not obey you in this!“

What happened next was so fast that ordinary human eye would not register it before it
would be to late.

Emperor pounced, unsheating his blade. Inches before it struck Albas throat strong metallic
sound revebrated trough the throneroom, ending with clang when destroyed blade fell to
the marble floor.

Emperors blade was not an inch away from Albas skin and Lamashtus blade was there, cut in
half. She blocked the attack, saving his brothers life.

„You may be his Father and Emperor, but I am his sister! I was the one that found powerless
infant, cradled him, cared for him, raised him and protected him untill he was powerfull
enough to protect himself and our homeworld! I am his mother, his sister, his guardian! Just
over my dead body will You hurt him, whoever you may be!“ she hissed trough clenched
teeth.

Alba knew what will happen before it even happened.

„Lamashtu NO“ he tried to warn her but it was too late. Against the power of most powerfull
human being, she was nothing. She did not even block his attack when he tried to kill Alba,
such was his suprise that someone dared to opose him that he stopped the attack himself.
Lamashtu had no chance. One moment she was there, one of the kind warrior, born as an
ordinary human girl and, on behest of her Primarch brother, modified as much as possible to
be able to fight at his side in Crusade to come. She was female so she could never become
Astartes but the best chirurgeons, Adeptus Magos Bilologis, using all the knowlege and
tecnology available, made her to what she was. Warrior that matched many Astertes in
power and ecclipsed many more in speed, agility and swordfight. An Angel of Death was she,
revered and beloved, nothing but ruined corpse now.

As Emperor backed, Russ took his place.

„Brother, stop this madness!“ he roared. Alba was blind with rage and grief. Lion and
Custodes attacked Nigrum and overpowered him fast. Hid did not want to fight his brethern,
just as Alba once did not want to. It was too late now. Loosing what he loved at most, the
one that was there his whole life, his sister, he had no reason to live anymore but revenge.

„RUSS!“, Alba hissed. „MOVE ASIDE RUSS, I HAVE NO QUARELL WITH YOU!“

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His heart acching, Russ did not move aside.

„I can not brother, you know that! Please, stop this!“

All the time, Emperor was standing there, rich, red blood dripping slowly, staining snow
white marble.

„You are monster! You never were and never will be fater to me or to any of my brothers!“.
Those were the last words Alba said before attacking. He was powerfull, unique being far
beyond even Astartes but he was not a match to Leman Russ. Minutes later, he was dead.

Nigrum was still held by Custodes and Lion. His eyes wide, he looked at the dead bodies of
what he considered to be his family. Something broke inside of his soul ans grief and hatred
devoured all he ever was. He felt something tearing and then torrent of fire flowed inside
him. He screamed as flames consumed him. Lion and Custodes were thrown aside like
pupets. Nigrums form changed in blazing vortex. He grew and grew, his armour melted into
new forms. All consuming fire was burnign from his eyes. Nigrum was no more, replaced by
something sinister.

„Children of golden god, she called us!“, horned beast that was Nigrum mere moments ago
loughed.“She warned us of dangers of our own hunger for more and more, warned us of
worms that infiltrated our ranks. Fear not, my dear not-father! I will not fight you our my not
anymore brothers. I have no reason to do so. You will do our job yourself soon!“

Fire being then simply vanished into malestorm of fire. With it bodies of dead Primach Alba
and his sisted Lamashut vanished too.

Leman Russ, Lion El Johnson and Custodes stood in silence, looking at the Emperor. He
raised his sword and looked at its bloody edge.

„Call for Malcador, I need him here immediately.“ He said calmy, just as if nothing
happened. „Lion, hail the XI legion fleet. Give them my direct orders. They are to dissengage,
turn off their voidshields and weapons and to move to the dark side of the planet.“

He made few steps until he was standing at the place where body of his dead son was.

„Leman, hail your fleet and transfer the same orders to all the ships present. As soon as
ships of XI legion depart, kill the II legion fleet to the last ship and legionary. With it, kill the
xenos too. Then destroy this world bellow us. I do not want not even any wrecks to remain
floating.“

„Hereby I declare II and XI legions as nonexistant. XI legion is to be disbanded, their livery,

symbols, every trace of what they were to be erased. II Legion is to be annihiliated.“

„I declare XI and II legion as Damnatio Memoriae.“ He turned to his two sons. „You know
what it means.“ Then he simply left.

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Leman Russ and Lion nodded without a word. What happened here was best to be
forgotten. Moments later they left too. The last to leave was Alpharius, carrying the small
stasis box.

All that remained was silence and blood on the white marble.

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Mallice of void

Void, silent and empty, rippled suddenly as pinkish hues started to colour its darkness.
Distortion started to tear fabric of time and space and without a single sound but with sickly
flash, large wound appeared, diseased and painfull looking. Moments later it disgorged vast
spawn, ancient behemot, deformed and painted in scorched blood. Its countless turrets
were adorned with skulls and octagramic glyphs, its titanic prow bearing text written in
kilometers long sentences. Giant battleship entered the void, damaged and burning, coils of
brightly coloured plasma still holding upon its skin as wound that spawned it stared to close.

Claxons and warning horns blared all over the vast galleries of the battleship as countless
serfs and adepts were milling like insects trying to repair damage and extinguis fires. Far
above them, next to the throne of captain, giant clad in blood red armour was standing and
roaring orders and questions, demanding answers.

„Where in the name of all four Gods are we?!“ he screamed, his voice godlike, thundering
like volcanic eruption. In his right hand we was clutching large stuff that crackled with aranic
energies, in his left mangled head of the nearest adept, crushing it slowly into bloody pulp.

Walking corpse, clearly in favour of Grandfather Nurgle according to stench and moderate
swarm of fat flies, slowly limped near the armoured giant, draging small but heavily bloated
demon that was sucking upon his left leg.

„Dark Apostle Beherit“, it gurgled, „I am sorry, but we still do not know where are we“.

Giant looked upon walking corpse that was captain of his ship with clearly visible loathing.

„One day soon I will throw you out of airlock, you useless rotten maggot“, he said with
disgust, „and not only becouse of stench and your absolute incompetence, but also becouse
of theological reasons! We, World Beares, by holy words of our Father, are supposed to
worship all for Gods evenly and not accept gifts and blessing from one of them only in
disfavour of other three“, he said with zeal. „I want long range auspex on maximum
capacity! Find out where are we! Turn shields on too, we may be on hostile teritory! And
why in the name of Lord of Change is this ship shaking?!“

Whole bridge was cacophony of serfs screaming, Adepts canting in binaric, priests chanting
prayers to all known and unknown gods and demons and servitor gibberish. Also, everything
was shaking and low but horrible roaring could be heard, comming somehwere from bowels
of ancient vesel.

One voice declared the reason, by the sound of it probably one of the Dark Mechanicus
adepts, as usual the most competent members of the crew.

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„Oh dreadfull Dark Apostle Beherit, I have found the reason for this tremor and roaring we
all feel and hear. Greater demon Nehemeth, bound to the superstructure of ship, is not
pleased with recent events and is trying to set itself free.“

„Tripple the prayers, send the priests down to calm it, shed some blood!“, Dark Apostle
roared, aware of dangers.

Moments passed and some time later, some voice, probably the same one as before, could
be heard again.

„Oh unholy Dark Apostle Beherit, priests and Adepts have not managed to calm the demon
Nehemeth! They offered him many decaliters of blood yet it was not pleased. For reasons
known only to him and Ominissiah the great demon devoured untold thousands of serfs that
were praying on one of the lower sections of ship and disgorged their mulched remains upon
the priests and Adepts that were trying to please him. We have lost dosen of Adepts and
unknow number of priest that were cruched and drowned in ichor and 5 decks are
completely submerged now. Yet, Great Demon Nehemeth is calm now although its histerical
loughing is driving Astropaths loose their mind even more!“

„Any succes with our long range auspex?“, Apostle asked grining.

Captain came close again, barely audible upon the droning of flies buzzing.

„We have success but answers will not please you my Lord“, he said, clearing some phlegm
before being able to continue. He canted something to a demon infested servitor implanted
into arcanic device he was standing nearby and hololitic image formed in the vas space
above the bridge. Sudden silence was not pleasant at all nor the image they got to see.

„Is this some mistake?“, Beherit asked, confused. „I can not recognize any of the stelar
constelations.“

„We checked again and again. It is not mistake. We have also checked far range images of
outer space. This is our galaxy yet our cogitators can not recognize any constelations without
significant errors. Our near range auspex shows that we are in close proximity to a star
system with 9 or 10 planets but we are not able to identify them. I am sorry my Lord...“
sudden binaric cant interrupted captain as one of the Dark Mechanicus Adepts jumped from
its console and came fast towards the captain and Dark Apostle, bowing.

„Forgive me for intrusion my Lord and Captain, but I belive that I have defined our location
with high percentage of accuracy“ he canted, his head touching filty floor.

„Talk!“, both Beherit and captain roared at the same time.

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Adept stood up and came near the nearby console, operating runebanks with few dosens of
fingers and tentacls too much. At the same time, shiny hololitic dots that represented stars
got coded names and started to move.

„Forgive me once more for being this agitated yet this discovery is beyond everything I have
ever seen!“, he said with some strain, clearly not used to talking with his voice.

„If you pay atention to simulation I just created, you could notice that stars are moving from
their current locations. After triangulating locations of neighbour galaxies in dispostions to
our own, I discovered that we asked the wrong question. Look!“ he said, pointing with his
tentacled hands toward some of the stars. They were moving all the way. Few moments
later, Dark Apostle groaned.

„Wait! Wait, i can almost recognize that star constelations but they are wrong! How can that
be?“

„My Lord, you are right. I too could recognize some elements of those constelations but they
are not as they are supposed to be. This is Segmentum Solar, the heart if the Imperium and
home to the Corpse Emperor, yet it is not. As I concluded before, we asked the wrong
question. It is not where we are. It is WHEN we are.“, Adept said and silence crept across the
bridge. Only low chattering of runebanks and consoles could be heard, faint humming of
Apostles power armour and demon suckling upon the leg of the Captain.

„Warp travel threw us in past?“, Beherit broke the silence.

„I am not sure my Lord“, Adept said. „Calculations are diverging and confusing. I am certain
that all stars I used in my simulation are identified correctly yet their postitions are beyond
my computation ability. This is and is not, at the same time, Segmentum Solar. I can not say
more.“

Dark Apostle considered the hololitic image for some time, brooding.

„Bring us in stealth mode.“ He said. „Raise the shield and proclaim total silence on all
communication! We must not be discovered as soon this situation is not cleared. If this is
indeed Segmentum Solar and that system nearby is indeed Solar system, we may have been
granted the unique oportunity to end the Long War and burn rotten Terra and thar rotten
carcass they worship once and for all. We will go there like a snake, silent and unseen. Praise
our for Gods, praise the Undivied and praise our Father and his word, for our names will be
legend and we will have place upon by the thrones of Gods if this is indeed the heart of the
Imperium“.

With his word behemot battleship turned dark and silent, gliding like a giant coffin, his
engines on minimum, his shield up, making him almost invisible. It glided towards the small
unsuspecting solar system, bringing death, decay and suffering.

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Days passed slowly in ship silent as a tomb yet solar system was closer with every moment.
Dark Apostle was sitting upon his throne, unmowing like a stone, his eyes fixed upon the
faintly blue hololitic image of their goal.Days later, already close but not yet in visual range,
he gave orded for a full stop.

„Captain, can we scan the outer rims of system without risk of being discovered?“

„I believe we can“, Captain answered. He gave orders in binaric cant and ship groaned as
large arrays rearanged themself, pointing towards the reddish dot deep in dark void.

„I must warn you, keep in mind that we must stay hidden. Solar System is extremely hevily
defened, although I am apaled that we have not seen any traces of other vesels. Especially
stay away from the largest planet in System, Jupiter.“, Beherit said, his voice almost
unaudible. Whole ship moaned when he mentioned Jupiter.

Time passed as array scanned the system and Adepts, servitors and demon infested
runebanks and consoled analysed the data. To a untrained eye, giant battleship was nothing
more than a dark, dead rock, unmoving and silent.

At last, Captain limped and bowed near the throne of the Dark Apostle.

„My lord...the system before us is empty“.

Anger flared in eyes of Beherit and the demon that shared his flesh found the joke not
pleasant.

„Empty?!“, he hissed, his voice full of poison. „Empty you said?! I will throw you out of
airlock, now!“ he roared, stangind.

Captain bowed, scared and screaming.

„My lord, please, see it for yourself!“

Hololitic image changed, showing yellow star and 10 planets orbiting it. Every planet had
been marked with a familiar name. Scorched Mercury, boiling Venus, coiling Jupiter, grey
Mars and blue Terra.

Mars was grey and empty.

Jupiter was coiled in ring of storms, free of giant shipyards.

Terra was blue.

Blue.

Dark Apostle was frozen, his lower jaw hanging, both his black hearts pumping blood like
never before.

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Blue jewel was there, slowly rotation, his oceans clearly sparkling, green canopy visible
under the milky clouds.

Beherit remembered the Terra well. He was there 10 millenia ago, when his demigod Father
and his brother Legions were there, pounding upon the doors of Imperial Palace. He
remembered Terra, burned, black, poisoned, polluted. He knew that it was blue and
abbudant in life once, countless millenia before.

Yet it was here now, before him, in his own reach, blue and green and clean and healthy.
Blessed be the Undivided, for this is not future. Warp threw them in past beyond past, long
befor Imperium, long before Age of Strife even. This was ancient Terra he heard about once
from his Father Primarch. This was before false Emperor. There she was, inocent and pure,
origin of whole human and transhuman race.

Ripe for him to claim it in the name of his Father and Undivided.

„All auspex to full power! Full speed ahead! We will claim Terra and change the future!“
Beherit roared like a demon and his kin, World Beares, now too present on the bridge,
joined. Titanic ship screamed to life, glorious in his power and magnificence.

Mere few moments later, all claxons on the ship blared warning.

„What is goind on?!“ Apostle screamed.

Captin came towards the throne, running now.

„My lord, Astropaths have discovered that something unimaginabely vast is comming
through the Warp toward our position. It is unclear what it is but they believe that it is one
singular ship of extremely vast proportions or a whole fleet of battleships similar size and
power to ours. They recommend immidiate withdrawal into Warp!“

Dark Aposle screamed, smashing whole rows of consoles, Adepts and serfs with his
powerstuff. His demon manifested with new mutations on his armour, dark coils of power
crackling from his eyes.

„Evasive maneuvers! Bring us into position for warp jump! All shield on maximum! All
weapons ready!“ He thundered, turning towards the blue jewel in hololitic image.

„So, you are not so inocent and unprotected after all?“

Giant ship protested as engine stacks flared in full power, turning the ship away from the
solar system and toward the void. Superstructure screamed, Greated Deamon infused in the
bones of the ship trashing and demanding sacrifieces, ship turned. Astropaths, swimming in
orbs of amniotic fluid opened their warp eyes as the fabric of space tore once again like a
titanic maw ready to swallow the ship whole.

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Minutes before warp jump, Apostle talked once more.

„Ready the cyclonic torped and fire it toward the third planet!“, he said.

„My lord, I must warn you that temporal paradox...“ one of senior Dark Mechanicu adepts
said before powerstuff flashed in hands of Apostle and tore Adept to ruin of blood and
other fluids.

„Fire the torped, toward the third planet, NOW!“ he said and no one had any objections
now.

Depp in bowels of battleship crews of serfs, menials and heavy servitors pushed the gigantic
cylindrical shape into lounching tube. Priests of Dark Adeptus canted the prayers to Machine
spirit but not one of them came close to the weapon. Vast and simple, it stood there the
same as it was the day when it was produced in Forges of Mars. No glyps were written upon
its adamantium armour for not even the most radical of Dark Mechanicus were ready to
temper the weapon of such potency. Relic of ancient ages, it was death incarnate, destroyer
of the worlds. With massive shudder it left its lounching tube and started to glide towards its
predesignated targed. It was a simple yet effective machine with sturdy and fanatical
machine spirit. Extremely well armoured and protected from all outer influences, it was
literally impossible to stop once lounched. It left hull of the battleship the same moment as
the first tentalces of warp embraced it. Moments later, battleship was gone and cyclonic
torpedo was alone, mere standard hours away from third planet. It rushed with extreme
speed. As safe and obliviant to anything else but bringing death, machine spirit of torpedo
was also blind of its surroundings. Blind as it was, it did not notice the change in fabric of
space along its path. Warp was gaining acces to this side of realiy yet now it was not violent
painfull tearing. It was gentle and elegant, like a curtain moving away to reveal another
scene.

And it had something to revel. Ship as large as large moon appeared in direct path of
torpedo. Thousands of miles long, it streched in all directions, its structure extremely alien. It
blocked the path of a torpedo yet torpedo was built to solve situations like that. Its prow was
armoured so that it could crack anything that got on its way. It was closer to the moon-ship
with every moment and just as it seemed that it will hit it with all its powers, tentacle of
warp fire emerged from the structure of the ship. It was like a snake catching a moving
prey. The moment it hit the cyclonic torpedo all his power was gone, the same as all the
inertia it had gained by its speed. Machine spirit, hidden deep inside the armour, was gone,
erased. World eater virus and other pathogens packed in neat cells inside the warhead were
dead and inert now. World killer, one of the most destructive weapons of the Imperium and
Traitors, turned to dead piece of metal with a single touch of warp-snake weapon.

Moments passed and nothing happened. The, suddenly, warp-snake flashed again and hit
the dead torpedo. It was a physical impact now and torpedo was lounched away, tumbling

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like a simple asteroid, dead rock among trilions other that orbited the distant yellow
star.Then, gently and elegant, vast moon-ship dissapeared again behind the curtains of the
warp. All that remained was silence of the void.

Somewhere deep in warp, vast battleship was rushing away.

„Prepare the message for immediate sending via astropath as soon as we enter the
realspace!Father must be informed about wha...“, Dark Apostle was relishing his glory when
all of suddenly, claxons screamed warning again.

Shutter were all up since none of the crew present on the bridge had problems with seeing
Warp with their eyes. Apostle had no need to ask anyone about the warning. He could see
something, clearly a small planet or a large ship, directly in front of them. It was a ship., he
could clearly see now yet he could not recognized it. It was alien but as alien as it was
possible. There was no time to say anything before warp tentacle coiled from the surface of
the alien ship and hit them. Geller field collapsed the same moment and Warp came inside,
hungry for flesh and souls yet it found nothing but dead, inert mass. The whole battleship
and everything on it, from simple human menial to greater deamon that was trapped in its
superstructure, was not simply dead but nonexistant, no trace of any life or unlife left. Like a
ordinary dead stone battleship tumbled and skidded from its path into endless depths of
Warp.

Some time later, all eyes on third planet were turned upon the nigth sky, all marveling the
unique discovery in deep space. Strange asteroid, like not one ever discovered before, was
seen slowly moving away from Solar System. It was large and elongated, almost cylindrical. It
appeared suddenly in void, slowly tumbling, and then left for the emptiness of intergalatic
space, probably never to be seen again. Just another rock, dead and inert.

In a place hidden, lone Man was standing in a dark chamber, waiting. Soon, another being
made its presence.

„Nobody noticed anything, my oldf friend.“, the Man said.

Another being did not respond at first. Althogh godlike in power, it was slow in its ancient
age. Voice that answered was synthetic, for it was not able to speak any spoken language.

„Void is capricious in last cycles, young apprentice. Fear not, for We continue our guard. This
will not happen again.“

It looked at the Man with its eyes, ancient beyond comprehension. Cold, reptilian eyes that
watched stars being born and die of old age.

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Knife

When I recall it now, I was just a small child when the war came. It was a nice late spring day, the last
day of school. Me and my friends, almost all children of farmers that produced all sorts of food, went
to small school located at the middle of our willage. On that day I was half the way when I heard loud
booming comming from somewhere far away at the North. All the children went silent and turned
towards the sound of the explosion. Slowly, titanic cloud rose towards the blue sky, shaped like
mushroom. Children started to scream and cry, our parents rushing from all directions, coming back
from the fields. It was utter chaos, everybody was calling for his or hers child, children were calling
their mothers and fathers. My own father found me ammong the last ones, grabbed me and ran
towards our home. I cried, looking at the giant mushroom growing as it will never stop untill it
devours the Sun itself. Soon, another deep explosions came and other mushrooms started to grow.
There, far in the North, was a big, big city Father promised to take me one day if I was good boy.The
last thing I remember was northern horizon dotted with endlessly growing, pale mushrooms.

I was a small child then and I could not comprehend the flow of time. Time passed but how much of
it passed was unclear. All I remember was darkness of our basement, almost silent sobbing of my
Mother and terrified look on my Fathers face. He clutched his weapon so hard, his fingers went
white. It was a gun of some sort, he hid it in locked box and never ever allowed me to touch it. I
remember he told me once that he trained in some military long time ago. I was scared and hungry,
wanted to go out and play with my friends, wanted to go to scheduled celebartion at the school
dedicated to the end of this year. When I cried in protest, my mother covered my mouth by force
with her ice cold hand, looking up. Her face was bloodles. It hurt me so I learned not to cry anymore,
at least not loud. Noises came from up there again and again, explosions and trashing.

Time passed once again and I was more hungry. Mother and Father fed me what they had but, after
a while, I noticed how weak they are. They stoped eating to save some more for me.

Again, time passed and one time I woke up in my Mothers lap, hungry and thirsty, I realised Father
was not with us anymore. He went to lood for food and water, my Mother said. Sleep my child, she
said with hope in her eyes and I did. When I woke up again, Father was still gone. Hope in my
mothers eyes was gone too.

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I hid in one corner and cried, as silently as I could. I cried and cried untill my eyes went dry. More
time passed and hunger turned into pain. I crawled back towards my Mother and called her but she
did not answer. All I could hear was her shallow breathing as she laid there, unmowing.

Slowly i climbed the stairs and opened the hatch. It was so heavy i merely managed to open it
enough to crawl trough the gap. Our home was devastated. It was dark but I did not know if it was
night or day. There was no food our water anywhere so I went outside, moving like an wild animal,
keeping to the shadows. First I went to the nearest house. It was opened but horrible stench warned
me not to go in there. Stench was familiar to me as I felt it once before, far in the fields when my
father took me to see big machines working. We saw some dead animal, killed by the machine
passing. It was the same heavy stench but much stronger. I quickly backed off. Few houses later I
gave up and decided to go back to my mother and sleep by her side. Every house was blocked by the
wall of rotting smell.

I was just a small child back then and naturally I got lost. Night was almost pitch dark, sky was starless
and completely black. Again, I started to silently cry, trying to find my home when I heard voices.
Father, I though with hope but hope was immidiately replaced with horror. Voices were few and they
were completely strange to me. As silently as I could i crawled towards the street untill I could hide
myself behind the flower bed close to the fence. Trough the iron fence meshing I saw 4 soliders.
Some kind of lamp gave faint light so I could see them clearly. Even faint as it was, the light stabbed
my eyes at first. Soldiers were strange and they spoke in strange language. I saw soldiers before but
these were unlike anything I ever witnessed, their uniforms ragged, their faces covered in paint and
drawings. I watched them for a while when suddenly another sound came. I looked left and saw a
man with an pick in his hands. Even in dark I recognised him. He lived in the same street as I.

You monsters, he screamd, rising the pick. You killed them all, he roared, starting to walk towards the
soldiers. They rose their strange looking wapons and loughed, speking something in their completely
unfamiliar language. I knew how weapons work so I expected that they will shoot at him. Fear froze
me. The mand with a pick was already runing now, screaming. Dozen of steps before he could reach
the soldiers large shape materialised from the darkness. Monstrous hand clasped the mans head and
lifted him from the ground. I saw a shape in the dark, the most terrible thing I ever saw untill then. It
was a giant clad in black, his eyes glowing blood red light. He lifted the man, holding his head with
large, clawed hand until their eyes met. Man was trashing, his pick lying on the ground. I was
completely frozen by the fear and terror. Next moment, huge serrated blade materialised from the
dark. It was a knife, similar to the one my father kept locked with his gun but huge. Blade itself was
polished and it reflected the spare lihght like a mirror. Black giant took the blade to the mans neck

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and slowly slid it. Even as a child I was aware that the blade and its wielder were powerfull enough
to slice the mans apart but the black giant made shallow cut, slitting the mans troath. He trashed but
blood sprayed and in moments he went limp. Giant looked at the dead man and then simply let it fall
to the ground. Four soldiers were silent and unmowing, their eyes fixed upon the giant.

My sight was fixed on the glowing blood red eyes when I realised that the black giant is watching at
me. Then I looked at the huge, serrated knife, still bloody. It was large weapon, probably bigger then
I was back then.

How beautifull it fits in my own hand now.

Ave Dominus Nox.

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I awake with a spark

There is nothing and then there is spark, sudden flash that sheds no light. There is only barely warm,
wet darkness all around me and massive, rhytmic tremors. I wiggle in sticky ichor, enclosed in small
capsule. I wiggle and wiggle, trash and scratch the membrane that keeps me captivated yet it
endures. I do not feel anything but something i can not describe nor define. What am I?

Sudden contraction almost crushes me. My limbs creak undred massive pressure. I feel my eyes now
although I can not see. They almost pop out of my skull. There is sound now, new sensation. Wet
tearing. I am free and i move now, down the slippery intestine. I slide and there is new sensation.
Pain. My skin starts to burn the same moment I leave the intestine. I fly trough the new medium. It is
thin, unlike fluid I was until moments ago. It burns my skin. I fly and then I crash at something solid.
Pain is all I know now. I am vomited upon the soil of some world, i am told. Who told me that, how
do I know that? My skin burns and becomes hard. Something tells me to breath and I do it. I inhale
that thin medium and new sensations emerge. Smell. I smell death and birth. New spark flashes
inside my skull. Thundering, seismic tremors. New sensation. My eyes open for the first time.
Everything is blurred yet I see something gigantic upon me. Instincts flare and I move. My limbs are
stiff yet I move. Next moment gigantic object crashes on the soil where i was. It is a foot. I rais my
head and look. Massive organism is slowly moving ahead, thundering and roaring. Its underside is
covered with untold sphincters that vomit other creatures, some I know are just like me, others
unknown. Some do not move fast enough and are crushed to wet pulp under the massive steps of
giant that poured ous on the soil, our mother I am told. Who told me that?

I just lie there untill mother moves away. I do not know what I am or what to do. Mother is away and
I can see other things, hear other sounds. Thin medium above me is full of other creatures. They do
not fall like I did. They fly, yes, they fly. What is flying? I can not fly. My limbs are not for flying. I have
claws. What should I do with them? I look around and see ocean of creatures rushing past me. Some
are like me, some smaller, some bigger. Some are so big they could crush mother under their steps.
Thin medium i breathe is full of sound. It vibrates with screams and roars of my kind. They are all my
kind, I realise. I feel we are all the same, the small ones and the titanic behemots. There are other
sounds I do not know. Thundering crashing, screaming of fast moving things, flashes. I smell death. I
look upon the sky and see tentacles. They are not like my own kind, not things but something else. It
moves trough behemots like they do not exist, jumps from one creature to another. It is tentacle
made of sparks and it divides into many, many smaller tentacles. I follow them and realise they all
have one nexus. For the first time I see my master. It is my own kind i know yet far more than just
that. Massive, fearless, it roars challenge. Its body is swathed into tentacles made of sparks. I see

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somehing massive upon him, cold and powerfull. Spark that shines darkness. Even veiled it burns
every single cell of me with fear. Master of my master, I know. It irradiates me with new sensation.

I look upon my master and it looks upon me. I feel its cold look and feel the spasmic flash when one
of the tentacles whips me and other arround me. Every sensation I had is overriden. There is no more
me. There is no more fear, no more pain. Nothing. Imperative inbound. Our master, monstrosity,
gives us new meaning, gives us direction.

RUSH!

KILL!

DEVOUR!

There is nothing but that anymore. We all rush in given direction.

Run. Whole horde of us rushes, runs, jumps. There is fire in the sky, objects fly and burn the flying
ones of my kind. Other objects fall down and shatter the soil, flesh of my kind crumbles, burnes,
flows in rivers of ichor. We run, jump over charred corpses. Others of my kind devour the flesh of
the dead, gorge upon the lakes and rivers of smothered corpses and then run to the big ones and
throw themselfs into gaping mouths on their flanks, giving the needed mass for production of new
organisms. Other attach themself to each others and form pulsating bowels leading to large living
pools, vomiting streams of crushed biomass.

I hunger yet imperative overrides everything. Rush. Kill. Devour. We all rush to kill. Finally we detect
our pray. It is living organism yet it is nothing but food. It is circled with fire, beams of light that burn
my kind and charr their flesh. We rush and die. Many, many die yet we overcome. We pounce and
topple the pray. It is weak, its bones, unlike mine, hidden inside soft flesh. We kill fast, tear it appart.
We devour and scream in ecstasy. Pray is soft and weak. Imperative imbound. Master directs us.
New pray. We rush, envigorated with food.

New pray is hard. Countless of my kind die and are burned to ashes, their biomass lost to us. We rush
yet we do not overcome. Big ones come yet soon their smoking copses join the ocean of the dead
undernearh our hoofs. We try and circle the pray yet all we find is death. It burns us with fire and
light, destroys our bodies with hard fast flying things. It slashes our shell open when we come too
close with sharp, hard claw. We see it. It is big and hard. Its form is similar to the easy, soft prey we
devoured before yet this one is bigger. It has shell like ours, hard on the outside. It limbs are made of
fire, its claw is sharper than ours. We rush and we die, doing nothing.

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Imperative inbound. Rush. Cover the master. Allow the kill. We rush for the last time. We pounce,
whole ocean of claws and teeth yet the prey endures. Fire consumes us. I am dying. With the last
beats of my hearts, once again I am I and no more we. I see the pray. Giant clad in hard armour, its
eyes red, one limb made of fire, the other clawed with blade. I see my master rushing at the prey,
roaring challenge.

I die.

I awake with a spark. There is nothing and then there is spark, sudden flash that sheds no light. I am
vomited on the hard soil moments later. I rush. I devour. I die. I awake with the spark.

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God Emerging

For thousands of servitors, menial workers and security personel, it was what one would call
anutter silence. For Mechanicum adepts it was clockwork precise humming of their sacred
machinery. Low grade officers were dying of boredom, trying not be noticed while catching
few precios moments of sleep in dark corners. At the bridge, everyone but dosen of
hardwired servitors was sleeping. Honourable captain Clarion Bin was sleeping and dreaming
together with his mighty freighter Augustus Macropoli, eleven milion tons of ancient glory
slowly rotating anchored high above bussy world of Valefor. It will take days to get all the
permitions to get docked on the nearby orbital hub so everybody but Mechanicum Adepts
was doing the only thing they could-sleeping, though they should use it for maintenance or
praying.

Captain Clarion Bin was leaned deep into his cozy throne and he was dreaming about days
long gone. He was an old man and not even three rejuvenation threatments could hide the
harsh truth. IN his dreams he was in his first century, tall and good looking man adorned in
full glory of being captain of a ship so mighty and famous. On every world he visited he could
pick among nice looking escorts, spend his time with nobility and enjoy only the best of
foods and drinks. Only a husk of what he was remained now and only the most sincere
friends from old times rememberd to invite him. He and his ship became one now. Decade
or two was all he had. Few more long and boring but also very profitable trips accros the
Imperium and he will be gone for good. Give the ship to someone younger and eager for
glory, he hoped. His first officer that was standing and sleeping nearby, trying his best not to
topple over was a good canditate. Honest, fair and quite capable man. He might be a worty
successor. Yet, all that thoughts were moved aside to make space for a nice dream the
Captain had. He was surrounded with company of beautiful escort ladies on some rich
pleasure world he visited ages ago.

Pain came and in felt like a needle thrust into every single cell of his brain. Pain was worse
than any pain he ever felt or could imagine existed. It crushed his body into spasms. Nice
dream he had was gone into flames of agony. Then came the scream. At first he could not
hear it with his ears but scream was there, in his head. Then came the claxons and warning
sirens. Every single claxons in his gigantic ancient ship was blarring at full power. Captain

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could swear that some of them did not work for more than century yet they were all
screaming and wailing now. All over the ship every human was screaming in pain and agony
and even servitors were twitching, stopped in their mindless repeatatitve jobs. Holding his
head with both of arms Captain stood up. Ship was awake now. First officer Camus Caprice
was leaned on the console nearby, trying to talk with somebody over the internal vox. His
entire face was bloody as it was dripping from his nose, ears and eyes.

„Captain!“ he shouted.

Captain was dazed and confused. What was happening?

„Captain, our Navigator is dead!“ Camus shouted, still working something with his console.
Captain was watching him with his eyes wide open, completely lost. Main bulkhead opened
with a his and two Mechanicum Adepts came rushing to their dedicated consoles. Moments
later they were already conected with the ship, chanting in binaric, their faces hidden behind
their red hoods. Soon the cacophony of claxons and sirens went silent. Suddenly ship was
like a tomb and not even ordinary humming of titanic machinery that ran it could not be
heard.

First officer Camus approched the Captain while cleaning his face with a napkin.

„Captain, I am informed that our Navigator died minutes ago“. Captain was still not able to
comprehend the situation.

Camus grabbed him by the shoulders and shaked him. They knew each other for seven
decades so he knew he had the right to do it.

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„Captain, our Navigatior died! His head exploded into bloody mist! What are we supposed to
do?!“

Captain looked at him for a moment and suddenly his eyes flashed.

„I...I...I have to thank you, my friend. „ Captain silently said to Camus.“Help me stand up“.

All eyes were upon the Captain. Nobody was sleeping anymore.

„First officer Camus! Report“ Captain shouted.

„Captain, I am informed by the security personel that 6 minutes ago Navigator Agratulot
suddenly woke up screaming. His was extensively bleeding from nose, ears and mouth. They
tried to help him but were also incapacipated by the headache and spasms. Moments later
his head explode. Just before he died he screamed about something imminent.“

„Imminent?“ Captains face was pale as death now.

„Yes Captain. In last moments before he died Navigator screamed about something that is
comming from the Warp.“

Captain took few seconds to think about what he heard.

„So we lost our Navigator. Any contact with surace or other ships?“

„I already tried. All vox communications are completely jammed or disabled. It seems that
whatever happend affected not only us but also other ships, orbital hubs and surface too.
We get nothing on vox but static.“

„This is not good. We are stranded here unless we can find replacement for late Agratulot.
What about our Astropaths?“

„Two are dead, two alive but in bad shape. Should we call for help?“

„Make sure that Astropaths are back on their duty as soon as possible. We need to inform
higher authorities about this incident. I am sure that planetary government will do so too but
it is our duty to try ourselfs.“

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Captain was back in his element, all previous confusion already forgotten.

„Adepts! Any input by our sensor arrays? What is going on?“

One of Adepts turned, chanting something on binaric. Seconds later he switched to audio
communication on High Gothic.

„Captain Clarion! Input we are receiving by our long range sensors is completely off
measuring limits. Radiation levels are peaking and we advise that protective measures
should be taken immidately for all non-Mechanicum personel. Triangulation the readings
also defined the nexus of radiation – it is located two hundred and seventy thousands nine
hundred and twenty four kilometers from our current location, exact coordinates are shown
on your personal console. Parameters of this phenomenon are similar to the ones that are
forthcomming to Warp transits of supermassive objects similar in size to Imperial Gloriana
class battleships or Ark Mechanicus of holy Adeptus Mechanicus, praise the Ommnissiah“

„So you are telling me that some vast vessel is comming trough the warp?“ Captain said but
in the same moment fear froze him. He saw many things in three hundred years of active
service, many of them enoough to bring death just by witnessing them. „Any information
about the vessel?“

Mechanicum Adept took some time, clicking with lightning speed at the console and
consorting in binaric with other Adept.

„Captain, I must inform you that we do not have enough information to deduce the asked
answers with enough accuracy. Radiation type is is similar to the one that announces exit of
massive object from the Warp. Radiaton levels, though, exceed all previously available data.
There are only three options. Either the sensor array are damaged and not working properly
or the object that is comming is beyond supermassive. The third option is some unknown
Warp phenomenon. I strongly advise raising voidshields and preparing Geller field
generators. Navigator is dead so Warp transit is not an option but there is high probability
Geller field will be needed to protect the ship and crew from harmfull effects of Warp
fallout. May Ommnissiah protect us!“

Captain took few moments to process what he just heard.

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„First officer Camus! Forward the commands! Full allert! Hereby I declare state of
emergency! All personel on their possitions! Activate the voidshields and prepare Geller field
generators! Prepare engines for full power movement if necessary! Any contact with planet
or other ships?“

„Captain, all communications in system are down. I have detected movement by other ships
but they are erratic. It is highy possible that other have detected the imminent threath.“

„Any success with Astropaths, are they able to send messages?“

„Yes Captain, in moments they will be able to transmit! What is your order?“

„We will wait to see what is going on and then...“ Captain did not finish his sentence when
sudden flash of multicoloured light almost blinded him and almost everyone else on the
bridge.

„Turn filters on!“ Captain screamed. Only Mechanicum Adepts were not dazed by light and it
took them only moments to turn filters on large window that allowed view across the bow of
the ship. Thousands of kilometers of space burned as if giant blade opened a wound in it. It
was a cut vertical to the planetary system plane that burned in every colour imaginable and
unimaginable. Titanic tentacles of warpfire slithered across hundreds of thousands
kilometers.

„Activate the Geller field!!“ Captain screamed. Seconds after the soul saving barrier flashed
as a bubble arround the ship one of the tentacles slashed it. Ship shooked violently and
people screamed with horror as their minds filled with monstrous nightmares. It lasted just a
moment but hundreds died, some of shock, some killed themselfs with anything they had
nearby. Superstructure of the ship screamed as generatoros roared in protest, oveloaded.
Although almost catastrophic, everything stopped shortly afterwards. Tentacles were
randomly slashing, there was no thought behind that. Without even a moment of time to
recover, one of the Mechanicum Adepts screamed in binaric, pointing at the large window
that filtered the blinding light to tolerable intensity. From the wound in space fabric
someting came. Dozen of tentacles of warpfire were following, coiling arround it like they
were trying to stop their pray from running away. Object was large but its form invisible,
completely hidden behind mass of multicoloured fire. It rushed and draged the trail of

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coiling fire untill it snapped and then even the fiery mass arround the object started to
disintigrate. Everyone on the bridge of Augustus Macropoli watched in ave as a shape of
giant vessel became apparent. It was clearly a ship but what kind or who it belonged was still
unclear.

„MAGNIFY THE IMAGE!! DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT TRY TO HAIL OR COMMUNICATE IN ANY
MANNER UNTILL I PERSONALLY AUTHORIZE IT!!“ Captain roared, clutching the console, his
eyes fixed upon the burning ship that dwarfed even his own by wide margin.

Somebody started to work and soon holographic screen at the center of bridge came to life.
At first it showed the same images that could be seen on the window. Soon, images stared
to get clear. Magniification started to grow and soon it was apparent that burning vessel was
human made. Basic shape, geometry, form, it was all there. It was very damaged too,
burning all over its length. Clouds of smoke coilied behind it, most of its exterior covered
with sooth. Captain Clarion Bin watched the giant vessel in horror. He suspected it all the
time but with every passing moment it was more and more clear to him. Vessel was made by
humans. He could recognize the familiar shapes, forms dedicated to warship and war.
Imperium built this war but it was not Imperial ship, not anymore. It was a giant vessel made
to make war, to destroy and conquer. He could not identify the exact class but it was large,
at least five to six kilometers in length.

He saw the star shaped symbol he recognized. One single thought paralyzed the Captain.

Traitors.

He was frozen for few moments but soon realized that this is not a time to show weakness.

„First officer Camus, relay the orders! Do not attempt to communicate or hail the incomming
vessel! Any disobediance will be punished by immediate death! Summon the Astropaths, we
need to send warning to all nearby systems and Imperial authorities. This is crysis of highest
level and we need...“

„CAPTAIN!!!“ both Mechanicum Adepts stood up and screamed at the same time.„CAPTAIN,
THIS IS NOT IT!“

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Bin looked at them with mouth opened, his last words left unfinished. Then he looked at the
main window.

Traitor battleship was flying at very high speed with trail of smoke and debris following it.
Sheer size of Warp portal made it look as it is not moving at all. Warp portal suddenly
spasmed as some giant flesh wound and then it started to emerge, object that made Traitor
vessel look like a insect compared to it. It was hundreds of kilometers in diameter, titanic
burning sphere. Planet sized trail of warpfire followed it as it emerged from the portal. It was
clear that Traitor vessel was trying to run away but it had no chance. Burning sphere moved
at speed that exceded anything that laws of physics allowed for the object of that size. It
cought the Traitor battleship and it was gone, just a tiny flash in an ocean of raging fire that
covered the mysterious object.

Everyone on the bridge of Augustus Macropoly made sign of Aquillla.

„May the Emperor protect us!“ they said in unison.

Burning spehere was on course of direct colision with the planet bellow. Augustus was not
on that course but it was still to late. Even if their Navigator was alive they could not make
Warp transition so close to gravity well of a nearby planet. Their fusion engines were
powerfull but they had no time to get ship that massive to a speed they needed to move far
enough. It was clear to everyone that they have met their end.

„GET ME A DIRECT VOX LINK TO ASTROPATHS!“ Capatin roared. They had minutes left to live
and he will use them well. He remembered one man he met long, long time ago on a world
its name he already forgot. It was a mysterious but very well mannered man. Clarion Bin
remembered his words very well.

„My dear Captain, I see that you are a loyal and faithfull servant of our God Emperor. You
travel a lot accros the known and unknown regions of Galaxy. I know people of your kind
witness many things one should not talk about. Remember well, if you ever witness
something that could be of interest to me and my employees, just send messeage via
Astropath. No mather where you are, just send it and we will hear. We are thankfull to the
ones that help us keep Imperium safe. You are well educated, experienced and informed

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young mans. Simply cast a message with a location and single word.: Magenta.I believe you
know what will be of interest to Inqusition.“

„Astropaths! Send a following message: Clarion Bin-Valefor-Magenta. I repeat: Clarion Bin-

Valefor-Magenta. Captain out!“

Ignorin the wailing of claxons and sirens, Captain spent next few moments standing upright
with his crew. Burning sphere was very close to the planet Valefor now as the atmosphere
was alread starting to recoil from imminent impact. Clarion imagined what it looked like for
bilions of people living down there to see a sphere apparently bigger then their local star
rushing from the sky, to see death incarnate and have nothing do to or nowhere to run.
Although he had no idea what the burning object was, its sheer size was enough for him to
know that this is the end of planet Valefor. It is not just a extintion level event. This is death
of planet. It will crack and pulverize and simply cease to exist.

Burning sphere touched the atmosphere and titanic concentric shockwaves emerged. He
could see walls of fire kilometers tall that burned everyhting on their path arround the globe,
boiling the oceans and sterilizing the soil.

Then the sphere exploded. Captain and his crew could see dozens of other ships that were
trying to escape being vaporized when large, continet sized pieces of warpfire clashed with
them. Moments before one of them destroyed his ship Captain Clarion Bin saw that the
sphere was not a solid object. It was a mere shell of warpfire. Last thing he saw was that it
was not empty. There was a bubble of some sort inside, bubble that warpfire was burning
on. Even the bubble was not empty. As the ship in front of him started to vaporize, Geller
fields blown away with extreme ferocity of cataclysm, Clarion Bin saw two giant shapes
inside it. Single glimpse and they were gone into the burning clouds of planet Valefor.
Ancient freighter ship Augustus Macropoli, together with his loyal crew, was gone too.

All that was left was a message carried on the wild waves of endless oceans of Warp, waiting
to be heard.

To be continued...

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