Landing wasn't easy, especially when the imperial citizens didn't even move towards the Thunderhawk, not to even see what came out, not even in the chance of evacuation.
"What of the citizens evacuating?" I asked Ivvar as we fanned out and moved up towards where the sounds of gunfire was happening.
"The Great Wolf has had them evacuated towards the southern hemisphere, the traitors have only landed on the northern hemisphere.
I nodded at the words of my pack leader as we walked towards a massive railing, the railing had the entire regiment of guardsmen, each one seemingly having more and more horror dawning over them; Everyone ignored them as we continued on, but maybe with my intervention they won't die?
Perhaps.
We stopped at an empty area where we overlooked an entire ravine, as there is no better way to describe it where multiple moving guardsmen regiments were moving as one and multiple Astartes and their leaders coordinating.
There were hundreds of Leman tanks being manned and moved out, multiple squads being executed by Commissars for even having fear of the traitors, and speeches along with prayers echoing out like a song of despair.
I didn't feel anything much less any sympathy, the nothingness inside me was simply numbing everything that made me, me.
"We will go down and engage in the frontlines" Ivvar spoke as we continued down the rampart, every three steps my foot settled and it covered two steps of the massive stair case.
The Blood Claws around me didn't say anything, but they simply didn't need to or didn't want to, my time away from my original Chapter has left me feeling distant from both their culture and their social ways.
I exhaled as I glanced around looking at the guardsmen as I walked behind my brothers, the guardsmen knelt, but didn't place their heads into the mud, they simply couldn't as they have their duties to do.
But their eyes held extremely distant hope, a light at the end of the tunnel, but the tunnel moved constantly. I tore my eyes away from them as I took in further equipment, from grenades, to the bolters being mounted on vehicles.
The Adeptus Mechanicus were using their esoteric methods to appease the Machine Spirits of the vehicles that they were using and all I can think was that it was completely useless.
"Wolf Priest, take your squad and move to the western flank, you will be the bulwark against the daemons so they won't break through" a voice came through the vox communicator as Ivarr led us westward.
In the distance against the warp storms of which consisted of colors that the human eye shouldn't see, shapes the human couldn't see, and a tear into the fourth dimension.
The warp storm was getting worse, all the while Daemon Engines of impossible brutality and destruction wavered in the distance like heat waves, each one multiple stories.
"Do they plan to siege or destroy us with their engines?" I asked curiously.
"It doesn't matter, what does is that they are destroyed" one of my pack members spoke up with a snarl.
"Heed yourself Gurlf," Ivvar hissed out as he led us without looking back "that goes for the rest of you, I do not need to bring you back from the ashes only for me to add your name to the wall of Fang"
Ivarr's words brought a serene silence over the wolf pack as we followed him, it didn't last long as horns blew and alarms blared with a sound that'll put concerts in a great shame.
"Move!" Ivarr ordered as I heard roars echoing out over the polluted air and I felt my two hearts beat almost like a war drum beating into action as we all immediately broke out into a sprint.
Guardsmen all around either immediately broke out to get into their positions or to get into vehicles to man them, the Mechanicus however all unapologeticly continued with their rituals without so much as a stutter in their motions.
It didn't even take us a full minute of movement to get to the western flank, the Cultist, Traitors, Daemon Engines, and minor Daemons came forth from the Warp storms each second thousand spilled forth as the Warp even killed a few of them.
I readied my Heavy Bolter, easily pulling back the handle and the guardsmen nearby seemingly jumped in their positions as the gesture startled them, a Commissar commanding them didn't notice as his gaze was eternally set on the approaching horde of copper violence.
"Emperor's Mercy" a guardsmen whimpered as most immediately made the sign of the aquila.
"Men, you will hold the line in the Emperor's name!" The Commissar barked as the Pack got into a simple positioning.
"These Traitors shall not take Armageddon as long as you stand!" The Commissar spoke out as Chaos got closer, each of them held weapons of dripping violence.
A nearly deafening sound echoed out and shook the hive as the Artillery shot out its screaming defiance towards the God of War. The area that was barren of any life besides that of chaos exploded out into crimson flowers of death.
Explosions ripped out and shockwaves of sound blew back before the heat, it didn't knockdown anyone except for a few weak Guardsmen that were as green as we were born.
"Do you think we'll live, M'lord?" A voice called out to me. I turned my head a bit to the left and saw what could only be called a fresh recruit of the Imperial Guard; He wasn't anything but unremarkable, his eyes held unspeakable fear that clouded his judgement.
I stared into his eyes for a moment, a heartbeat or a second I was sure but I responded either way "we will all die one day, it is simply up to us to decide how and win; will we die here? Or succumb to age? To decide is to fight, so fight"
I mainly spoke a bunch of nonsense, mostly just to get him to stop talking to me, but from the way Ivarr's eyes narrowed towards me either said I said something I shouldn't or he was contemplating my words.
The artillery roared overhead, now onto its umpteenth volley all the while chaos strode through laughing at the action, they were the worshippers of Korne, the Blood god, this was the purest way of worship for them - war.
I felt my grip tightened on my Heavy Bolter the way this universe screams at you to both suffer and fight hurt my moral compass, but here anyone's moral compass would be simply compromised. There's only war here, I can't change anything as a single person can I?
But I'll have to try.
Daemon engines burst through the Warp storms only to be hit with the orange holy fires of the Allfather as some of them exploded out crumpling into merely scrap heaps of metal and crushing thousands of cultsists as they either screamed in pain or in worship.
They died for their thrusting god, and they'll be forgotten in equal measure.
"Their thirsting god is blind to them" I spoke with a frown that couldn't be seen.
"But the Allfather sees us" Ivarr spoke with what could only be a matter of a fact tone "the Allfather sees his executioners this day, and when he inevitably blinks it'll be when they're drowning in their own blood"
I blinked at the brutality in the statement of Ivarr but then a realization that the Space Wolves were mostly considered barbaric when compared to the other hundreds of chapters.
'Vikings in space' I told myself.
The artillery simply couldn't keep up as the millions of traitors of humanity simply pushed through the barrage of crimson destruction, the Daemon engines were looking shaggy, rusty, and seemingly weeping blood as it repaired itself.
I hissed out a stream of breath as they shambled forth with excitement that could only be described as barely contained bloodlust. They held seemingly broken copper blades that were weeping blood that came from seemingly nowhere.
From shots of 'blood for the blood god' and 'skulls for the skull throne' it was eternally difficult to not grind my teeth together at both their appearance and their worship of the chaotic god.
I slowly exhaled a breath made of hate as I seemingly forced myself to be calm as the artillery roared out to life once more, and then the firing started, lasguns and close range weaponry I forgot the name of roared out in both anger and prayers.
I swallowed as Ivarr commanded restraint as we waited for closer quarters, the Commissar barked out orders of disciplined fire as lasbolts tore holes into Cultists and hit the warp tainted Ceremite of traitor Astartes who didn't even register the attack only springing forwards with the joy that war could only give them.
The World Eaters, thousands of them waved through the cultists with what could only be called a whorish frenzy for blood and death as they not only carved through the Cultists with zero regard that they're on the same side but looked towards us as their next target.
"Wolves! focus your fire upon the traitors!" I heard Ragnar's voice over the vox as I finally heard the firing of Bolters of distant Astartes unleash their fury that the mortal guardsmen simply couldn't match.
I joined them, each gunshot wasn't felt by me, but the World Easter's definitely felt it, as my aim was surprisingly accurate; every third bolt shot dropped a World Eater and each time they dropped they gave their last breath to Khorne.
I didn't need to hear it to understand it, their motions and their hands were all I needed to understand it. Angrons' Angry Legion weren't kind to anyone as they slaughtered everything in their way to get to us.
The Blood Claws next to me seemingly clenched and unclenched their fists in eagerness to unleash their fury in the Emperor's name.
"Why are you anxious?" As I asked as I dropped another World Eater.
"The Traitors come to us, yet we are unable to kill them yet" one of them spoke up.
"When you know your enemy more than yourself you need not fear a thousand wars" I quoted the Art of War and changed it a bit as I tore the head of a World Eater.
"Those words are unknown to me" Gurlf grunted.
"Understand your enemy" I started "I cannot placate your anxiousness nor your righteous fury, but I can help you guide your axe in the correct way" I spoke as I dropped a magazine and pulled out another one, I pulled the charging handle back, insert the magazine and pressed the bolt lock allowing another bolt round to be chambered.
"You are a philosophical being" an unknown Blood Claw spoke up as he turned his head to me.
"I am not, I will not tell you the secrets of the universe; I will simply impart knowledge that I know" I spoke as I began to mow down the World Eaters again.
"You sound like a Wolf Priest yourself" Ivarr analyzed me.
"I hold no knowledge of spiritual, healing, or recruitment" I spoke truly before I blinked once "nor do I wish to"
The sounds of a blaring horn echoed out as Daemon Engines started opening fire, some shot out blades of copper and weeping blood, another shot out warp flames of both impossible colors and heat.
Shouts of panicked guardsmen and death screams filled the air as I focused fire on the Daemon Engines, then the ground shook with a horrible field of fire. The artillery started once again this time much closer, be it a panicked order or a correction in their alignment.
Either way Guardsmen ducked for cover as a flash of heat and tremors shook the world as the enemy died by the thousands and the Daemon engines, made in their entire horribleness, were forced to take a lot of the assault.
"Wolves," Ragnar's voice came out over the vox once more "begin close quarters, I want them torn apart!"
Ivarr turned to us as he gave a smirk "after the barrage you will experience the trails of war, be prepared" now the Blood Claws stopped their anxious movements, their movements were too small for humans to notice but for us Astartes it was like reading a moving book.
Crimson flowers bloomed on the battlefield without any ceremony once again, the Daemon Engines - through the smoke and fiery destruction managed to ever so slowly get through.
A second volley, this time the tanks and mounted bolters roared to life with a fury equal to that of each world war. Cultists exploded in their places, Astartes either had to dodge or be forced to be reduced to gore like the mortals around them.
Lesser Daemons, faster than mortals were finally in both seeing and firing range, the lesser daemons of Khorne were much like the Bloodletter before, red, destructive, holding copper blades that wept crimson, and yelling out prayers to their war god.
"Be prepared to combat greater daemons should they appear" Ivarr spoke, his eyes narrowing.
"A great saga is approaching" an unarmed Blood Claw spoke up with what could only be called bloodlusted anticipation.
It didn't take long for them to eventually breach for the barrage of hell that was going towards the chaos forces. A few miles were rapidly dwindling down until they reached the walls.
"Let us descend down to level, we will be both shields for the evacuees but the axe that'll carve our way through them" Ivarr spoke before he jumped off the railing and we followed, I hesitated for a breaths length.
Wind ripped around us as we dropped hundreds of feet, glancing around I saw tens of other Space Wolves doing the same. I guess this is how Space Wolves do these things.
Landing didn't even feel painful, instead it felt like landing from a jump. Mud, ash, and other unmentionables kicked up and dirtied our boots.
"For the Allfather!" Almost immediately after we landed the Blood Claws immediately charged and I was forced to discard my heavy bolter and pulled out my heavy bolter with my left hand and my Poweraord with my right hand and charged after them.
The ground was covered with the ashes and body parts of long dead beings, some human, some not, and the polluted air just simply couldn't remove itself from the planet.
The enhanced legs of my body grounded the servo joints of my armor to near limits as I ran beyond 50 MPH, the ground if it could ever be called that cried out as the rhythmic strikes of our feet hitting the ground sounded more like war drums rather than that of enhanced war machines charging forwards.
It took less than a minute to meet the wave of living brass and violence and even less than that for my powersword to be coated in the blood of traitors.
Every swing left a trail of blood, coating the sword, myself, and the surroundings. It was less scythe on wheat and more of a tractor on wheat, every swing, every kick, every bat of the fist left gore and a soul screaming into the warp.
And I felt nothing.
I met a World Eaters' warp touched chainaxe with my own powersword, sparks didn't fly as both of us were forced to take a step back, and reengage.
I was faster.
My Powersword found home directly into his abdomen, the Chaos Marine's Ceremite was parchment when my weapon met it.
War stuff and blood splattered out as his chainaxe limply fell onto my pauldron not even leaving a dent.
I had to duck to the left to avoid a lesser daemons' weeping copper sword that was aiming for my kidneys; I pivoted letting the Powersword meet the copper sword in the air and using effort to force the sword to the side before I thrusted forwards and took the head of the lesser daemon.
I took a glance, my squad was still alive - all of them. Their lightning claws were coated in blood and had snarls on their faces.
I was immediately brought back to the battlefield when a round grazed my helmet and when I looked towards the direction of the shooter I saw another chainaxe aiming for my head.
I brought the Powersword up and the chainaxe and when I did so the handle was cut in half, the head that was both chainsaw and axe flew off; I changed the direction of my arc almost immediately afterwards, and decapitated the traitor.
I grabbed the Ceremite armor that he wore, both tainted by ritual to his war god and by warp stuff and threw his headless body towards a charging group of cultists.
I charged forwards towards a traitor Astartes that attempted to flank a battle brother and punched the guy of the World Eater with all of my strength, my heavy bolter pistol quickly maglocked to my hip.
The Astartes groaned midway between a war cry and a prayer to the Blood God now wheezing, I didn't relent as my sword went straight through his shoulder and armpit.
The World Eater screamed, be it worship in dying in war or in pain will forever be in debate in my mind, but I retched the blade out in a violent manner as the Astartes was bisected horizontally letting the traitor bloom in a crimson flower.
I didn't say anything to the pack member as Ivarr jumped up and sliced through a nearby World Eater as I carved a crimson path through cultists.
"For Khorne!" I caught a jumping cultist and cut him in half horizontally before I threw the upper part of the cultists away into the air.
The battlefield was beyond brutal, it was a constant fight. Bite for bite, inch for inch, blood for blood, punch for punch, slice by slice.
The thundering of bolters hitting daemon engines and greater daemons in the back of the battlefield, and the roar of tanks covered most of my ears.
I punched through a cultists as my Powersword blocked a strike from a traitor; it didn't take much effort. I quickly realized the Word Eaters were breaking upon waves on rocks against us, but the sheer numbers were staggering.
We were at most fifty holding a bloody position rather than pushing forwards, it may have only been a minute and not one has fallen.
Yet.
The daemon engines roared closer.
I punched the helmet off a World Eater; its face for it was simply no longer a he as gender was simply a construct the being no longer had. Was a face that held tubes into its brain, and pure unrelenting fury in its eyes.
I bisected the head of the traitor with a thrust from the Powersword, the head became a geyser for blood. I said nothing as words simply failed here, the ground was simply covered in red ground as the dark color was simply drowning in blood as bodies piled on top of each other.
I swallowed a bit as I pushed back a group of cultists before cutting them down. I sliced through seven of them at once, each giving a whispered prayer to Khorne as they died.
A force of violence tore my gaze away from the carnage I brought and daze up, as a massive Daemon Engines arrived before me, its maw held a cavern of teeth and its red mechanism held a prayer to Khorne.
Its nightmarish form was brought in real space with gargoyle weaponry, it held for arms each one holding a different weeping copper weapon, on its chest was a concoction of weaponry that was simply hard to describe.
It roared out as it swiped away both cultists and traitors in a blaze of gore and destruction, its weapons lit up, and rather than shooting forwards it shot all around it and it looked like every bullet, every gun, every arm had a mind of its own.
It held itself to only six meters tall as the reality around it seemed to cry out, it didn't speak it didn't need to, but I charged forwards all the same this time I took the Powersword in both hands.
I offered only a small hiss of air to leave my breath as I jumped to the side and rolled out of the way as a massive weeping copper axe landed where I once was, I was forced to side step as another massive weeping copper spear passed through the air where I once was.
Reality cried out red.
I jumped up on the spear as it was pulled back inadvertently dodging a strike from a copper sword, this time it wailed in a sound that could only be described as a sword given a voice.
I ran up as a spinning blade of a giant chainsaw nearly bisected me as I moved, I swung the Powersword up and it stabbed through the joint that carried the massive copper spear, the thing roared, be it rage or hatred will forever be unknown to me.
The giant arm fell as warp stuff poured out like a hole in the titanic as a massive arm fell to the ground and a small earthquake forced the Cultists nearby to fall on their knees, weaker ones fell completely.
I brought my Powersword back just in time as a massive copper axe attempted to crush me, I dodged barely, just in time to see the guns on the Daemon Engine light up like fireworks in the background of a starless night.
I immediately ducked as what could only be described as moving magma speed over my head, but I didn't stay down, I jumped off the massive arm just in time for the self driven rounds to land on the arm of the Daemon Engine.
I rolled one, twice, then thrice, each time covering me in blood and other unmentionables. I got to my feet far quicker than what was thought possible for a human.
The Daemon engine was missing both of its right arms now, and what could only be called visible rage on its face was evident as its maw opened out and fire bellowed out.
This time I waved through Cultists and traitor Astartes, forcing it to kill its own worshipers, which it didn't have much trouble doing. Then explosions, the Daemon Engine was covered in a bloom of crimson flowers and smog as the scrap metal that made it up flew out and I was forced to use a World Eater as cover.
A massive scrap of metal punctured through the Astartes and immediately killed the traitor, I didn't have much time to contemplate on it as Gurlf jumped forwards and attacked the Traitor behind me with a war cry fresh on his lips.
I forced my Powersword up as I forced an Astartes that was attempting to flank him to face me, its own corrupted Powersword met mine in two clashes before I pulled it back and took a blow on my pauldron as I took the throat of the traitor.
A spray of blood came forth as I took a step back, red beams washed over us as it landed fresh on the closest forces of enemies as the artillery ceased.
"Move Brothers! We have arrived!" A new voice yelled out as blood and bodies kicked up, and a fresh shadow came over the battlefield.
Glancing behind me was a ten man wall of terminator wearing Astartes, each one holding powerfists able to kill an Astartes with a well placed blow. Behind them was the bigger fish as my eyes widened.
To giant walking mechs, two Dreadnaughts of the Space Wolves seemingly howled as their massive weapons roared to life, each one a star of burning fury.
I forced myself a step back as I dodged a downwards swipe from a Traitor and forced my Powersword into the hip of the World Eater before I reaped my left hand back in a fist and slammed it into the helmet forcing the wounded World eater back.
I took a step forward, and when I did I took both hearts with the swipe of my Powersword. I almost took another step back but it was unneeded as a massive power fist forced the traitor back.
I moved out of the way as the wall of Ceremite and adamantium took my place and I pulled out my Heavy Bolter pistol and started to take the heads of the World Eaters nearby.
"Move forwards, we will tear down these traitors and banish these Daemon Engines to where they belong" the Ragnars' voice came over the vox as I mingled back with my squad with only one short.
My bolter rang out like a horrible bell as traitors were reduced to mere muck, thunderhawks and the likes of them touched down as multiple more squads of grey hunters came down each one a season Astartes.
A few Long Fangs came with them, each one a veteran of a thousand battlefields; they were esteemed as much as mountains are.
"Wolf Lord!" One of the Dreadnaughts barked out as Wolf Lord Ragnar came down as multiple Leman Russ tanks touched the ground, bikes also landed and were quickly mounted.
Ten other terminator wearing Astartes came forth with one carding the banner of the company, it was both the banner carrier and the wolf guard.
"Move forwards! Tear them down now!" Both a command and a war cry together, every one of the Space Wolves within the area immediately cheered as they went out to force the World Eaters to go back or die.
Everyone knew what they'd choose.
A greater Daemon roared out as it met the wall of terminators and the two Dreadnaughts, however it couldn't reach them, didn't. The sheer firepower of the wall of power had simply reduced the giant being of violence into warp stuff forcing the Daemon back into the warp screaming.
I sliced through the guts of a traitor as a pack member covered my back, I was drenched in blood, and I felt nothing more than the air being recycled back into my lungs.
Not heat, not cold, not dread
Simply the feeling of air being in me.
I blocked an overhead strike from a Traitor Astartes, my Powersword evenly matched with his own chainaxe. I pulled out my heavy bolt pistol and pushed the barrel into the lower part of the helmet and the bolter quickly unleashed hell into the traitor.
I kicked back its useless body, I then let the bolter unleash the rest of its fury on any cultist and traitor nearby, each cultist exploded out in gore and bone while the World Eaters' would go out in a blaze of warp stuff and rage.
I hissed out a cold breath as I felt the temperature drop then rise in a molten level of fury, I felt every hair on my body stand up underneath my Ceremite armor as I hissed out a curse and killed another traitor.
"What is th-?" I couldn't ask out as a roar of violence, blood, and glee echoed out as the Daemon Engines nearby seemingly screamed out in happiness.
"KILL! MAIM! BURN!" The voice was that of personified violence and a bag of skulls talking.
I felt a flicker of fear before something inside me drowned it out in indifference, I glanced around as I saw most of the Space Wolves steel themselves.
"Khârn" Ivarr spoke like it was a black curse upon his tongue, the other Space Wolves immediately started to fortify themselves. The Dreadnaughts stood first as the terminators surrounded them in a wedge formation.
The mechanicus members carrying the ammunition of the Dreadnaughts force up for a second before they continue their duties with the mechanical position that their existence brings.
"Betrayer" one of the Dreadnaughts hissed out as ranks broke onto the World Eaters.
"Go! Now!" Ragnar barked out as every one of the weaponry that the space wolves had barked out in their righteous fury, I brought out my pistol and joined in their fury.
They broke on us like clouds on clouds, some fell, some advanced, I stood. From a left and into a right, each strike seemingly took the head off a traitor.
Leman tanks broke forth and came alongside us as they rolled over the on coming waves of Cultists, who only offered laughter and screams for their demise. I only blinked twice as I was suddenly rocked off my feet as a massive explosion forced me into the air before I landed on my back and simply rolled onto my feet.
Looking forward I saw a massive crater simply existing where I once stood, I quickly got back into my rank before multiple daemon engines broke through whatever counted for smog.
I blinked at the one before me it looked exactly like a Dreadnaught except it had no gun and two weeping copper axes and held the World Eaters' head piece, it was easily four meters and it seemingly gazed down on me like a god looking down on an ant.
"Worthless" steam or vapourized blood came out of whatever would count for its mouth, as it stalked forwards with pure malice. Its feet were more hoof than that of a mechanical mechanism, fire that outlined its feet.
"None of your skulls will adorn that of Khornes' throne, but your blood will flow freely!!" The Daemon Engine bellowed out in verbal violence.
"Your gods' rivers will only have your blood flow" I countered it as it charged towards me, I should feel fear, I know I should.
So why couldn't I?
I easily dodged a strike from the Daemon Engine, its strike left the earth trembling, and fire to strike the ground where it hit, it took less than half a second to get my bearings.
"Assist our Brother!" A voice came from behind me, but I couldn't look back, I'd know I'll die if I did.
I lifted the Powersword over my head as I stroked the backside of the Daemon Engine engine as warp stuff pulled through, I backstepped just in time to dodge a strike from the Daemon Engine but I stopped as my back slammed into a figure I couldn't see.
"For Khorne!" The figure now as traitor screeched out as I pivoted on my feet and dodged a strike from the traitor, I didn't have time to, as the Daemon Engine was directly behind me every step.
The Daemon Engine swiped its axe as fire and blood trailed it, it cut the Traitor in half without caring that they're on the same side; I backstepped again as bolters slammed on the back of Daemon Engine both visibly and audibly.
I narrowed my eyes as this time just when it went for a second swing, I stepped into its guard and forced - with all of my enhanced strength - my powersword directly into whatever it counted for its midsection, warp stuff covered me.
"Down with you heretic!" A mechanized voice boomed out as I backed away and a gauntleted hand wrapped around the arm of the Daemon engine as a massive gun tore through the hole I made as the Honorable Dreadnaught of the space wolves tore it in half.
The Honorable Dreadnaught threw the upper half of the Daemon Engine towards the traitors, crushing several with its massive weight.
"You fight well" the Dreadnaught spoke to me as it seemingly turned to me and I couldn't help but feel a small amount of happiness.
"Thank you" I simply said not spending time to comment further.
"You fight honorably… you wear a cloak of us yet not our armor, why is that?" I blinked. It was quite forward, however it was a Dreadnaught, all subtly went out the window with its existence.
"Deathwatch" I spoke as I looked up to it "got back and didn't have a chance to change armor"
It was a white lie, but it works.
"I hope I'll see you on more battlefields; your Saga would be most interesting" I couldn't help but be slightly happy at his words.
That, however, was all the time we had as almost immediately were assaulted with further traitors, I was forced to push up the Powersword and slice through the corrupted Ceremite of a World Eater.
"KILL, MAIM, BURN!" The same words as before came out much louder and somehow much more violent.
I was forced to duck underneath a massive bloody chain axe, however I was immediately met with a fist to the face which forced me to tumble end over end twice before I landed up on my feet and looked up.
"Betrayer!" The Dreadnaught spoke up in a violent yell as I took a good look at my attacker, he was as tall as me, with a chain axe that was beyond massive, the helmet he wore was different however, it held a number that simply made reality scream nearby.
"Khârn!" I hear Ragnar scream out and I froze for only a breath, before my legs moved without conscious thought as I sidestepped another strike from Khârn.
I brought up my Powersword and met his weapon Gorechild, and sparks flew as it tore into the metal that formed the Powersword, and I felt myself drop to a knee due to the power that Khârn had.
"Die!" The Dreadnaught nearby yelled out as its claw came out of nowhere and smacked Khârn away from me and I forced myself up to my feet with an exhale.
My ears were met with laughter that sounded like a bag of limbs laughing. Khârn in all his bloody glory walked forwards as I stood beside the Dreadnaught.
"I am Bjorn" I got into a small stance as I pulled up my Bolter pistol and pointed it at the Great Betrayer.
"And you will die" Bjorn, the Last from the Company of Russ spoke out as his gauntleted hand switched to a shimmering Lightning claws. "Your god will weep today as I break you"
"You can try" Khârn spoke with a gurgle of blood as he charged forwards towards I and Bjorn.
Bjorn met him first netting lightning claw and Gorechild in a shower of sparks as I flanked Khârn, I went to strike only for him to chuckle, sidestep, and backhand me size paces away.
I was forced to drop on my back just to dodge the swipe from Khârn; Bjorn followed quickly as his massive bolter weapon caught Khân on the back and tossed him away, sadly not too far to cause damage to the cursed being as I stood up.
Khârn immediately charged, I raised my bolter up and began to fire, sadly to next to no effect and didn't even slow down Khârn as he laughed. I raised and swiped at Khârn with the Powersword and Gorechild met it in the space between us.
I was forced back by a step, Khârn capitalized on it as he kicked me in the midsection and I was forced back and on my back, I rolled on the destroyed battlefields' ground just to avoid Gorechilds' destructive judgement.
Bjorn was close behind as Khârn noticed him and lightning claw and Gorechild met once again, however this time the massive bolter attached to the right arm of Bjorn immediately pointed it at Khârn.
Khârn laughed out "KILL, MAIM, BURN!" He screamed out as his hand wrapped around the barrel of the bolter and slowly pointed it out of the way of Khârn and towards the sky.
"Fall!" Khârn screamed out as he reteched Gorechild out of the grip of tear Lightning claws and sliced the massive Bolter gun in half and immediately slammed Gorechild into the chest of Bjorn.
I was immediately behind Khârn as I sliced at the back of him with my Powersword, this caused him to scream out, stopping his chanting and muttering madness as he fell to a knee and Bjorn fell back a few steps.
But Khârn stood back up.
I quickly brought up my Powersword just in time for a titanic swing of Gorechild to hit my Powersword and it broke in half. The Powersword , no longer having a form exploded out in a blue static field of power causing me to fly back and into a Leman Russ tank.
Fire sparked in the promethean filled Leman Russ tank as fire lapped at my Ceremite armor coating me in its damnable flames.
"Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne!" Khârn screamed out in seemingly victory.
"Your god is that of a coward" I hissed out, as I slowly pulled myself out of the wreckage of whatever made the Leman Russ's tanks from now.
"Your confidence walks ahead of your comprehension, waving proudly" I spoke as I walked out of the flames staring down the Traitor before me with no weapon.
"Ten thousand years of this nonsense and all you have to show for it?" I cracked my knuckles as Khârn silently stared at me with fury "just a few numbers"
Khârn changed.
I shouldn't be like this, I knew I shouldn't - but I still did. I had no weapon, I wasn't blessed like him, I had nothing.
Nothing but my spirit.
I ducked underneath a swipe of the Gorechild, normally he would've kicked me again, but this time I punched him in the helmet with an uppercut. I then elbowed his exposed arm, the nerve that was in his elbow convulsed a bit as Khârn was forced to hesitate in everything for a breath.
More than what I need.
I slammed my foot down onto his knee as he screamed out as he slammed his fist into my own helmet and my Ceremite helmet cracked underneath his far stronger strength.
I punched him twice in the midsection just before he grabbed my breastplate and he threw me away towards Bjorn who had finally recovered, I slammed into him and he didn't even budge.
I was breathing heavily as I slammed into the ground, my form blackened from the promethean fire that covered me and the unmentionables from the ground.
"Is that all?" I huffed out as I stumbled to my feet.
"How weak you've become Khârn" Bjorn barked from above me "you cannot even kill a whelp?" Khârn screamed in genuine rage as he charged forwards even faster.
I threw myself out of the way as Bjorn and Khârn met midway, their meeting was that of a titanic proportions, two tectonic plates met as the ground cracked underneath them.
I hissed as I stood up, Bjorn sideswiped Khârn who met the mechanized arm with Gorechild forcing both fighters to take a step back. Khârn was faster than Bjorn as he took Gorechild and aimed for the legs of the Dreadnaught.
That's when I met him, just before Gorechild had a chance to take Bjorn's leg, I slammed my fist into the back of the right leg of Khârn. Khârns' leg struggled to stand and I forced him down directly on my knee, slamming Khârn onto my knee.
He didn't scream, only grunted, but before he could fight back, I slammed down my elbow on his neck as hard as I could. Khârn actually stiffened at this action before I placed my hands on the back of his head and the back of his waist and threw him.
Khârn tumbled in the air before he landed and rolled twice before he slowly arose to his height.
"You have angered him whelp" Bjorn spoke as he charged forwards towards Lhârn who seemed to held on Gorechild the entire time he rumbled in the air.
"So what?!" I yelled out as I charged alongside him.
Khârn roared, actually roared as he charged Gorechild screaming the entire way. I ducked only for me to be stopped as Khârn grabbed my cloak and was tossed away just in time for Bjorn's lightning claws to meet Gorechild for the umpteenth time.
I won't lie, I'm getting tired of being tossed like a child's toy.
I exhaled slowly as I ran towards Khârn's back and grabbed one of the two twin crests to bring his head back only for my fist to meet the back of his head, I let go of his crest and gave it my all with an elbow to the optics of his helmet.
Bjorn was next as his lightning claws swiped at Khârn's chest only for Gorechild to meet him, then he grabbed me by my left and twisted me to face him.
With a roar he slammed his fist into my face forcing me back several paces, my vision swam as I forced myself to stay up.
Bjorn swiped again and Khârn genuinely ducked underneath a lightning claw swipe, lightning danced across Khârn's form just before Gorechild sang properly and took the left leg of Bjorn forcing Bjorn to take a knee.
Khârn couldn't continue as I was right on him, my hand grasped his hand holding Gorechild and forced him to come close and met him with an elbow to his lower helmet; Gorechild clattered on the ground before Bjorn like an unwanted child.
I didn't let up.
I gave him a quick two-piece both landing true on his helmet, only then did he respond to my attacks. I was forced to take a sidestep to dodge an uppercut.
I grabbed his wrist of his extended hand and threw him over my shoulder, I waited until he got to a knee before I grabbed his crest and slammed my knee directly on his helmet before I grabbed his collar of his breastplate and punched him in his helmet once again, this time genuinely cracking his right optic.
He slid back before he moved with the momentum and rolled to his feet. He seemingly calmed down, now finally recognized the damage to his armor.
"Join me" he spoke this time with less violence in his voice but nevertheless there and I wanted to roll my eyes.
I interrupted his pitch before he could get out another word "let me tell you something Khârn, you stand here upon assumptions you mistake for ground"
I snarled "the Emperor never wanted divinity, never wanted to be a tyrant, only unity; you've failed your one and true purpose, you mistakenly took Khornes' and your Primarchs' whispers as truth"
"Here's the truth everyone in your Legion forgot: you failed the Emperor the moment to got those Butchers' Nails, and you failed even Khorne by not laying down and dying on Terra" Khârn exploded.
I dodged to the right and at the same time leaned entirely forward as my fist slammed into his helmet, I then pivoted on my heel and got in a position to suplex him.
He flew.
I got up and chased, he landed directly on a destroyed Leman tank, I shoulder checked it and caught him in my arms before I let go and let him roll on the ground.
"Look at you, on the ground; where you belong" Khârn got up and swung once again, I met him first, my foot slammed into his midsection forcing him back for a few steps.
I stepped forwards and my other foot slammed into his knee just as a fist met my helmet, I stepped back once and let a fist roll over my shoulder just before my elbow slammed into his midsection.
Khârn also didn't let up, slamming both fists down on my back, my foot must've slipped as I landed face down on the mud. The top of my head met Khârn's foot as he kicked me.
I slid back, I turned my back so I'm on my back, only for the form of Khârn to be coming down on me, I moved my head to the right dodging a meteoric punch kicking up mud and unmentionables.
I immediately went on the offense, punching him in the helmet once again before I grabbed his breastplate and brought him down to head but him. Khârn must've felt something as he staggered.
I capitalized as I brought my right leg to my chest and kicked Khârn away. I was breathing hard, not due to damage but due to attrition.
Khârn however rage filled he was, showed no exhaustion. I slowly got to my feet as Khârn charged forwards, I didn't feel anything other than the light pain and the air in my lungs.
I tanked a punch to the face just in time to slam my elbow into his neck once more, I brought my foot behind his own and slammed him down onto the disgusting ground.
I slammed my elbow down onto his neck once then twice. I didn't let up not once, I slammed my fist down on his helmet twice before he raised his hand in an attempted punch.
I grabbed his clenched hand and tossed it away, going back down at his side, he roared as I hammered down on him, once, twice, thrice, each hit was a sledgehammer and sounded like a tank shot.
By the fifth hit blood came out of the cracks of his armor, I still didn't stop, I didn't feel anything, the pain at this point was gone; I couldn't help but feel happy as I saw the blood fly out of Khârn's broken helmet.
I stopped only for a moment as I saw the cracked helmet of Khârn with blood peeling out of every crack, the crest he had was broken, when it broken I didn't know but it broke nevertheless.
"Is… that all?" Khârn sounded disappointed.
So I plunged my thumbs into his optics immediately shattering the reinforced glass as my thumbs easily reached for whatever counted for his eyes.
This got a reaction as he grunted and grabbed my wrists with both of my hands. I felt a force trying to pull my hands away, which I didn't allow. I brought his head towards me before I slammed it down on the mud.
It didn't do much.
But it rattled his brain. I then let go, blood trailing my thumbs before I brought my hands together in a sledgehammer and slammed down, this time it brought a much more visceral reaction, blood flew out freely with each hit, the helmet now no longer cracking but caving in.
Each hit sounded loud, more in my head rather than outside as Khârn's brains started to appear and his head now resembled more of a kids terrible painting rather than any shape of a head.
"That is enough brother" a calmer voice stopped me as I felt a weight on my left shoulder, I blinked twice as I looked over my shoulder and saw Ivarr his eyes showed a bit of respect and a small amount of reluctance.
"What?" I asked, my voice sounded slightly hard.
"Khârn the Betrayer is dead" Ivarr spoke with a small smile "no need to beat a dead body"
I looked down, and I saw it much more clearly, Khârn's head or whatever counted for it was that of mush, with broken parts of tainted Ceremite mixed in with his brains.
"I… I didn't know" I spoke truthfully.
"You couldn't" Ivarr spoke as he looked around "you never could"
I looked around to notice most of the terminator wearing Space Wolves were staring at me, I slowly stood up, and they didn't even tense.
"The battle has been over for twenty minutes" Ragnar approached his face wearing a savage smile "you've dueled Khârn with no weapon, you even fought alongside Bjorn"
Ragnar glanced towards Bjorn's form who was slowly being attended to by Iron Priest, his form slowly moved, signaling that he still lived.
"This is a great saga" Ragnar turned his eyes back to me as I looked at him "be proud, very proud; you've fought Angrons' second and won"
"Now?" I asked with a tight voice.
"You go back to the ship, you'd need report to the Great Wolf, he has something important for you" Ragnar spoke cryptically as he signalled something as a few Thunderhawks got closer.
"The battle was over the moment Bjorn fell" Ivarr spoke "most of the squad lives, Gurlf died to a Daemon Engine"
"So…" I trailed off "I was beating on Khârn for…"
"Eighteen minutes, we didn't want to stop you as we thought you became Wulfen, Lord Wolf actually told us you weren't, after all, Wulfen's do not glow with the Allfathers' light" Ivarr spoke as he boarded the Thunderhawk and motioned for me to follow, which I did.
"Allfathers' light?" I asked.
"It will be revealed, but no doubt Angron will be upset at this" Ivarr spoke as the Thunderhawk's doors closed behind us and I couldn't help but feel like something incredibly wrong had happened.