Chapter 53
My vantage point atop the landship provided an excellent view of the entire battlefield.
Imperial fortifications were shrouded in blue-gray gunpowder smoke, spitting fire from their muzzles at the encroaching Chaos forces. Flashes of magic cut through these gray clouds like lightning. Torrents of fire and gusts of wind tore at both sides of the conflict. Fiery vortices erupted directly within the ranks of the Dolgan riders, forcing them to scatter and tumble from their horses.
A massive, brownish-green bubble inflated over the center of the Imperial lines and burst, raining down torrents of filth. This was no mere chemical weapon. Along with the brownish-green sludge, a flood of Nurglings poured down. The little vermin scrambled in every direction, leaping over redoubts, crawling into trenches, and popping, splashing droplets of caustic venom. I pitied those caught under that filth. On the deck of the landship, I couldn't hear their screams, but I was certain they were screaming loudly.
Even more impressive was the spellcasting of the Chaos Dwarfs. It was as if a second sun appeared over the battlefield—a massive, incandescent sphere of churning flame surrounded by rings of black smoke. Such power could have incinerated several redoubts along with their guns and crews. But whether the Dawi-Zharr themselves blundered or the Imperial wizards managed to deflect the disaster, the giant fireball struck in front of the fortifications, barely grazing them.
The earth shook so violently from the explosion that even our landship jolted. Erik collided with me and nearly fell. One of the Marienburg Landsknechts accidentally discharged his pistol into his own leg.
I hoped the Dawi-Zharr wouldn't be able to pull off a second casting like that.
While we churned in their direction, the Chaos Dwarfs engaged in an artillery duel with the Imperial gunners. This was no longer the one-sided slaughter it had been at Pfeildorf. Though the sorcerous engines of the Dawi-Zharr surpassed ordinary cannons in accuracy and destructive power, the Imperials could field far more barrels. For every shot from the Chaos side, five to ten cannonballs came flying back. Most flew wide, but some, by Sigmar's will, found their mark.
Dents appeared on the armor of the Daemonic train. Several cannonballs and mortar shells rained down upon the screeching masses of Hobgoblins. Particularly lucky hits crippled or killed the Dawi-Zharr themselves. One exceptionally fortunate shot landed directly on the ammunition stockpile of a monstrous Chaos mortar.
Again, the earth shuddered from the explosion. The deck lurched beneath my feet. The ground continued to tremble for several minutes. One of the Daemonic train's cars was literally torn apart. Only pathetic scrap remained, and a crater formed in the center where baleful magic still raged.
Unfortunately, the humans were also suffering heavy losses. The fireballs of the Hellcannons dived like birds of prey straight onto the Imperial gun positions. Some men managed to leap away, but others were consumed by the fiery blast. Gunpowder ignited instantly, taking the cannon or mortar out of the fight.
The heavy battle was already boiling in the center. Traps, pits, and mines had managed to delay the Nurgleites, but not stop them.
Despite the heavy musket fire, the Rot Knights, giants, and the main mass of Chaos infantry began their storm of the forward fortifications. A foul avalanche surged against the earthen ramparts. Plaguebearers, brandishing rusted swords, scrambled over one another in their rush to cross the ditches. Many failed. They became a living foundation for Chaos Chosen, Northern warriors, Pestigors, Trolls, and Bile Ogres to trample over.
The halberdiers of the first lines held on as best they could, but the enemy was too nightmarish. Heaping piles of monstrous flesh and the rusted plate of the Chosen wedged into the defense. The situation seemed dire, but an answer to the madness of Chaos was found in the form of Sigmarite fanatics. Thousands of Flagellants swarmed the trenches and gaps between the redoubts. They fearlessly threw themselves at the horrific monsters with clubs and flails at the ready. Giants crushed them, Chaos Spawn tore them apart, and Chosen hacked them into mincemeat, but the pressure of the Flagellants did not waver.
Above them loomed a War Altar of Sigmar with a burning brazier. From atop it, an armored priest shouted something, holding a hammer in one hand and a book in the other. A faint golden radiance enveloped him.
While the Flagellants were grinding against the Chaos forces in the center, our landships covered nearly a mile and a half of broken terrain. Only as much remained to reach the Dawi-Zharr Daemonic train. The Chaos Dwarfs finally turned their attention to us.
— Raise shields! — barked one of the officers.
A dozen stationary mantlets, fronted with a thin layer of metal, were raised and secured on the deck. They wouldn't save us from a direct hit, but they would stop splinters and flames. Liandra and I took our places behind one. Two Nuln Ironsides knelt beside us.
— Prepare yourselves! — the word swept through the crew. — It's about to get hot!
And it began...
Several enemy guns zeroed in on the landships. Four self-guided fire projectiles flew toward us—one for each vessel.
— Go! Just like you were taught! — I heard the voice of Gerard, who stood behind Hel.
The young shamaness stepped onto the prow of the deck, raising a thin staff made from a freshly cut branch. Amber sparks danced around her hands. In the blink of an eye, they fused together, forming a glittering spear. Helena released it to intercept the fireball of a Hellcannon. It worked!
The two magical projectiles collided in mid-air, creating a true firework of sorcery. The Hellcannon's fireballs were self-guided, but, thank Sigmar, they didn't know how to dodge interceptors.
The wizards on the other ships did exactly the same. Fireballs and lightning bolts flew toward the flaming projectiles. Three out of four intercept attempts were successful. Only the fourth fireball reached its target, and even then, it failed to score a direct hit on the landship. The wizard on board created a translucent shield at the last second, against which the shell detonated. The explosion shattered the barrier. A wave of fire washed over several dozen crew members and marines. Many suffered severe burns, but the ship itself remained virtually unharmed, its side only slightly scorched.
Of course, the Dawi-Zharr had no intention of limiting themselves to a single volley. Rockets flew toward us with a terrifying whistle. A heavy Magma Cannon located on a car of the Hell-train belched a gout of liquid fire. Incandescent death passed a couple of meters from our ship's hull. At the point of impact, a literal fountain of fire erupted.
I was sure that if the Dawi-Zharr concentrated the fire of all their artillery on us, the ships would be destroyed in a matter of minutes. However, the spiteful bearded ones were still occupied with the duel against the Imperial guns. Nuln's siege masters showed commendable persistence and courage in their confrontation with the Dawi-Zharr. They constantly brought up new guns to replace those knocked out. Positions that the Dawi-Zharr had leveled with a direct hit a minute ago began firing at the armored train again.
Two dozen mortars mounted on War Wagons maneuvered between the redoubts. They would fire a volley and immediately shift to avoid the return fire. Their shooting couldn't be called accurate, but the fragmentation shells covered large areas, causing panic among the Hobgoblins.
Explosion!
One of the rockets hit directly in the center of the landship's deck to our right. Despite losses among the marines and crew, the machine continued to move.
The landships snapped back as best they could with the cannons mounted on their prows. I could barely hear anything anymore from the roar. The shots of countless guns merged into a single, unceasing cannonade.
I turned back to see how things were faring in the center of the battlefield. The Flagellants had been practically wiped out by the Chaos warriors. The Sigmarite fanatics had fallen in battle, their sacrifice slightly delaying the enemy's advance. While the Chaos forces were hacking, tearing, and shredding flesh covered in whip scars, the less fanatical citizens of the Empire rolled out Helblaster Volley Guns onto pre-prepared positions.
It seemed this Chaos breakthrough had been a trap from the start. They were allowed to draw into a pocket behind the first line of defense, held back by the pressure of the Flagellants, and...
Even on the deck of the ship, I heard the echoes of that volley. Nearly two dozen Helblasters fired at the Chaos scum all at once from all sides. Small cannonballs and grapeshot tore even armored Nurgle warriors to pieces.
The Helblasters were immediately pulled back for reloading. Their place was taken by lines of handgunners who fired their arquebuses and tossed hand grenades. Smoke obscured everything, with explosions and new shots flashing within it. The Nulners were giving the guests from the North a true lead storm.
For a moment, it seemed the Nurgleites had been driven back, but...
Fuck! I forgot who we were dealing with. These are goddamn Chaos-worshippers, smeared in shit and the grandfather's gifts. The massive bombardment broke their momentum and thinned their ranks, but the Nurgleites did not surrender the captured positions.
Several giants fell, one riderless Toad Dragon thrashed in convulsions, a dozen Bile Trolls turned tail and ran, and many Pestigors and Plaguebearers were torn to shreds, but the Nurgle Chosen partially held their ground, constantly healed by sorcery. Some Chaos Spawn still twitched. Tamurkhan himself loomed atop his Toad Dragon. The battle for the first line of defense continued. New warriors and monsters were already being pulled into the breach to replace the destroyed ones.
The Imperials were forced to throw the Reiksguard halberdiers, Greatswords, and other elite melee units into a counterattack. Only such measures could prevent the enemy from deepening the breakthrough. That was the situation unfolding in the center.
I couldn't see what was happening on the opposite flank. I could only distinguish the largest mammoths moving like living mountains across the battlefield. It seemed to me they had pushed too far past the first line of defense. Not good, but I didn't give a damn. I couldn't influence the situation there anyway. I had to focus on my own tasks.
The landships drew closer and closer to the armored train. The wizards did their best to deflect enemy shells, while the Imperial guns supported our push with fire. Another rocket hit a different ship, leaving a wide hole in the hull, but the machine did not stop. The steam boiler was intact. The ship could continue its movement.
A whistle, and splinters flew everywhere!
A shell grazed the side of our ship. It was likely a cannonball from our own artillery. Almost all the Chaos Dwarf shells exploded, whereas this just damaged the hull. Honestly, advancing under the fire of your own artillery is quite the attraction, but if the Nuln guns fell silent, we would be much worse off.
Hel managed to intercept another fireball. A rocket flew over us, howling like a chorus of daemons. However, even for the Chaos Dwarf artillery, it was difficult to hit moving targets when they were being pelted with cannonballs and bombs themselves.
The Dawi-Zharr realized they wouldn't get rid of us that easily. The rocket fire ceased, and several flying monsters took to the air—Great Taurus carrying Sorcerer-Prophets on their backs. Now they were going to pelt us with magic.
Three Taurus flew toward us with leathery wings spread, along with two more peculiar creatures that seemed to be called Lammasu. The monsters approached rapidly.
— Marksmen, prepare! — came the voice of the Ironside sergeant.
Dozens of marksmen raised their muskets and arquebuses. Even a few Dwarfs had brought firearms or crossbows for the fight, but the winged monsters didn't fly too close. Instead, black smoke began to swirl around their riders, flecked with crimson sparks. Magic.
— Watch your eyes!
A whirlwind of volcanic ash formed literally out of nowhere. It immediately hurtled toward our long-suffering landships. Within seconds, everything was obscured. It was hard to breathe, almost nothing was visible, and the ash scorched faces and nostrils.
— Hold... on! — Magister Gerard tried to shout over the cannonade. — I'll heal everyone, but first, a shield!
I immediately understood what the wizard was talking about. Several crimson magical bolts struck the greenish protective dome created by Gerard. These weren't Hellcannon volleys anymore, but the castings of sorcerers.
About twenty seconds later, the ash veil began to dissipate. Squinting, I noticed that not everyone had been lucky enough to survive the bombardment so well. The landship to our left was on fire. The machine continued to move, but the flames were spreading rapidly across the deck and hull. That ship was doomed.
The Great Taurus with the Dawi-Zharr sorcerers were in no hurry to approach us and climbed higher. Magic swirled around them again. They were preparing some large-scale strike.
A cloud of black smoke appeared ahead at a height of fifty meters, beginning to take on a metallic sheen and forming the contours of a gargantuan hammer. I could guess what would happen when we ended up under that spell. There would be a dent in the ground and a lot of broken wood and bones. Even if I personally survived thanks to my magic resistance, I could just die among the wreckage. Or the sorcerers would descend to see who here was being too stubborn to die.
An idea occurred to me. I leaped toward Magg and bellowed into the ear of the ash-stained Ogre:
— Toss me! Toss me when we pass under that thing! — I pointed my sword toward the black hammer hovering above the ground.
— Jurg, you get hit in the head?! — the Ogre politely inquired about the state of my mental health.
— No! It's necessary! Toss me or...
I didn't have time to finish. I only managed to drop my sword and shield before the Ogre finally tossed me high, high up toward the plummeting hammer. Already in flight, I realized I might fall past the deck. Magg and I hadn't had time to discuss that part.
The world spun before my eyes, and then darkness followed. I entered the center of the black sorcerous hammer. The air seemed to grow denser, parting before me reluctantly. I felt my fall slowing down. My body hung in the air clearly longer than it should have.
— A mixture of the winds of Metal and Fire with a high concentration of Chaos corruption, — Loom-Pia commented.
Metal...
The wind of Chamon. I hadn't tasted this one properly yet. It felt as if all my muscles tensed like a cramp, but there was no pain. On the contrary, it brought a certain pleasure. It felt as though I had become sturdier. I also felt the already familiar effect of the fire wind, Aqshy—a thirst for action, the feeling of boiling blood.
For a few seconds, I hung in the darkness, and then... poof!
The darkness dissipated.
My presence had disrupted the structure of the spell. The giant sorcerous hammer, which the Dawi-Zharr intended to use to destroy the landship, vanished. I found myself about twenty meters above the ground. That was the height at which the hammer had dissipated.
— Don't fall on your head, — the Hypnotoad advised.
— I'll tryyyyy... aaaaagh!
The fall was short, and the impact with the ground was painful. Yes, with the ground. I had indeed fallen past the ship.
Armor clattered, bones crunched. An ordinary person might not have survived such a hard landing. And even if they didn't die instantly, they'd have received a wonderful set of fractures. As for me?
— Alive... whole... glorious... — I muttered, rising from the soil plowed by the landships' wheels.
The earth had softened my fall, but my main protection had been the metal magic that had saturated me and my armor. The wind of Chamon could not easily pass through me, and therefore concentrated on the surface of my body. It had reinforced my mortal shell.
In my tensed muscles, I felt the strength of steel cables. I could use them perfectly well, and every movement felt heavy and incredibly powerful. It felt as if I could have cracked a brick with a single strike at that moment.
— Some of your actions, warm-blood, walk the thin line between barbaric ignorance and primitive but useful cunning, — the Hypnotoad "praised" me. — Now hurry and run after the ship.
What could I do? I had to run after the landship.
***
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