[Dirge Eterna]

Been a long one. Got pizza to celebrate myself and all the other new mods. Anyhow, post feedback if you're reading, since I have yet to figure out a poll.
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THE STORM BREAKS

Azulanthis' army was a sight to behold, despite the fatal losses they had taken fighting the combined Kytharin, Reclaimed, and Daemonicum armies. Rows of red-skinned devils and lithe feminine demons supported by crackling sorceries and weeping, dieseased demons. At the head of this host stood Azulanthis himself, nearly twenty feet tall, holding a howling blade that dripped black ichor.

Altair stood next to Reyzak on the hill, the Daemonicum's banner flapping lazily in the soft breeze. Fredric and Jaeknos stood farther down the line, before the four hundred Reclaimed. Kale stood to Altair's left, at the head of nearly a thousand Immortal Guard and Stormserpents.

Altair leaned to Reyzak. The demon cocked his head.

"Give the order."

Reyzak nodded. "Aye. It is time."

He gestured to the demon Altair had seen earlier, who raised the massive horn and blew, the sonorous noise reverberated across the assembled warriors, who loosed a massive cry of hatred and vengeance. Altair took the first step, his armored claw sinking an inch into the muddy earth, and suddenly he was at the head of the charge, bolter shells flying past his shoulders as the Reclaimed took up positions. The Stormserpents and the few Daemonicum with ranged weapons fell back, firing on the move. The rest of the army smashed into Azulanthis' front lines, throwing mortals and demons aside as they slew foes by the dozen. Azulanthis snarled something incomprehensible to his lieutenant, a burly blue-white demon in thick black armor. The creature nodded and flew into the air, landing just as Altair and Reyzak dispatched the first rank of demons.

"Whelp, you've come far enough. My master will grant you mercy if you surrender. To refuse means death."

It raised a smoking glaive.

Altair chuckled. "No, I've come too far and slain too many foes to bow to your master. I have earned my place, and he will not take it, creature."

The demon snarled. "Well, then."

It charged, swinging the glaive violently. Altair blocked the blow and swung around, taking a chunck of flesh from the demon's shoulder. It howled and swung back, Altair blocked again. The demon kicked Altair's legs out from under him, and swung the glaive into the earth just as Altair rolled away. Getting to his feet, Altair whipped Ristvak'baen past the demon's glaive, and clamped both weapons to the ground.

"Ready to give up?"

"Never."

Altair drew back the weapon, slashing the demon across the chest. Black ichor leaked from the wound, and the demon swung again, missing Altair by a fraction. He pushed the demon back a pace, and waited.

Sure enough, the demon charged again, glaive raised. Altair ducked under the blow, and stabbed the demon through the midriff, hauling it over his shoulder, and throwing it to the ground behind him. He swung around, and the demon lay coughing in a small pool of gore.

"By the gods.."

"Told you so." said Altair, stabbing the demon through the throat and ending the fight.

The demons of Azulanthis' army soon refused to confront Altair and Reyzak. They tried to retreat back into the mass of their army rather then confront the blood-soaked Immortals (As Reyzak called his guards). The fight lasted long into the morning, for even with the massive army Reyzak had conjured, Azualnthis' host was not small either. The ground soon became a swamp of bodies, rain, and blood, tripping warriors and fouling weapons. Altair finally escaped the morass after five grueling hours, panting. Ristvak'baen was still pristine, the sword having sucked the blood out of the warriors it killed. He clutched painfully at a deep cut on his upper arm, where a lucky Berzerker chieftan had landed a blow with a Dreadaxe. Machira had wrapped a bandage around the wound, but it still throbbed painfully whenever Altair moved the muscle.

He rested an hour, watching the ebb and flow of the battle. He then noticed a huge shape making itself known in the middle of the fight, throwing demons and Reclaimed into the air.

Azulanthis.

"It's time to finish this." said Altair quietly, picking up his blade.

 

[Ordo Xeno Commander]

awesome, absolutely awesome stuff Dirge. just make sure it isnt as long until the next piece is posted :wink:

 

[angels of fire]

Great as usual...

 

[Master Andael]

A great story:grin:

 

[Dirge Eterna]

Thanks all. Been busy lately, killing Covenant (Terrorists, King Richard's men, other drivers, etc.)

I'm hoping to ge the next part done by tonight. Having fun writing up a death.


Alright? See you tomorrow!
-Dirge

EDIT: Ran into a roadblock regarding myself, an apparently AFK Ebay seller, and a box of Gas Mask filters. Next Chapter Sunday.

 

[Axe]

Some very good stuff here Dirge, keep up the brilliant writing!

 

[Dirge Eterna]

Well, here it is folks! Only (what?) three more?

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FIGHTING GODS

Altair strode through the morass, Ristvak'baen reflecting the blood-soaked earth around it. He stepped over a pile of burned carcasses, mostly demons. He walked past a roupd of Daemonicum standing on a relatively quiet part of the field, praying to a golden idol in the mud. He walked to a pile of dead, a Champion of Khorne atop the pile.

Look at his hands...

Altair looked at a Reclaimed, his armor torn and soaked with gore. Shrapnel stuck out of the joints. The man's hand were around the neck of a demon. The demon had no other wounds on it's body. The marine had killed it from the other side of death.

Altair looked away.

He continued on, occasionally stopping to fight a demon or two, or to give the soldiers some support.

He finally strode through the mass of fighting warriors. In a clearing in the field stood Azulanthis, his sword dripping gore and his armor bloody.

"So, whelp. You seek to challenge me?! Me, of all the warriors here!?"

Altair nodded.

Azulanthis sighed. He motioned for his warriors to form a perfect circle around them, a fighting ring.

"You know not the schemes I have seen. I will forge a new order! A new Empire where all will rule, not bow to the Corpse-Emperor of Man! He has had his time...now, it's our turn."

Altair nodded sadly. "We cannot interfere with the mortal realm. Yet you refuse to let this go."

"You would have us all be reduced to dust! Lost and forgotten in the Warp! I cannot compel you, my primogenitor.. and you will not join me."

"And you will not give up this scheme." Altair pointed out.

Azulanthis shrugged. "Then it seems we are at an impass..."

Altair drew Ristvak'baen with a harsh rasp. "No. We are at an end."

He charged Azulanthis. The demon bent backwards, Ristvak'baen passing less then a centimeter above his helmet. Altair drew back as Azulanthis' howling blade split the air. Their swords locked together. Altair tugged.

Azulanthis laughed maniacally and spit an acidic globule into Altair's eye. He drew back, trying to clear his vision. Hie flesh burned in a line across his right eye, from his eyebrow to his cheek, but he managed to wipe his eye clear. Azulanthis' sword whipped at his neck. He barely managed to parry. The demon brought up his polished claw, kicking Altair's legs out from under him and whipping the sword into the ground just as Altair dodged. Altair had a sudden, and terrifying, realization. He could not win this fight. Azulanthis was stronger, faster, and more heavily armored then he was. What was his strength?

Use it wisely.

Blue flame erupted down Ristvak'baen's blade. Altair surged forward, glorious energy soaring through his outstreched arm. The sword put a nick six inches deep into Azulanthis' blade, swung free, and put a gash the length of Altair's arm into the demon's leg. Azulanthis howled in rage and pain. He picked Altair up and dashed him against the ground.

Altair blacked out for a moment, and when he looked up, Azulanthis was standing over him, a blazing gun held in one armored fist. He pointed it at Altair's skull.

"Only human." he said, spitting the words.

Reyzak came charging headlong into the circle, and lopped Azulanthis' hand off at the wrist. The demon screeched in agony and swung around. Altair looked Reyzak in the eye. The old demon winked at him, the fell to his knees. Azulanthis swng his sword through the demon's robes, slicing him in half at the waist. Altair screamed a wordless cry of vengeance and hatred, and threw Ristvak'baen with all his strength.

Azulanthis turned just as the blade left Altair's fingers. Like Thor's Hammer, it sliced through the air to cut a perfect line into Azulanthis' neck.

The demon smiled. Altair shuddered. The attack had done nothing.

Then Azulanthis' smile faltered, the light left his eyes, and his head seperated from his body with a wet thwack. The demons looked at their leader's body, looked at each other, the screamed in torment as one by one they lost the ability to remain in reality.

Altair retrieved his sword from a pile of ash, the last remains of one of Azulanthis' warriors, and knelt over Reyzak's body. The demon's breath came in short, ragged gasps.

"Altair, child. You must promise me..take the Daemonicum to Cadia...activate the beacon..you must promise.."

Altair nodded. "I..promise."

Reyzak closed his eyes. "Then it is time..."

And with a final breath, Reyzak, last Scion of the Daemonicum, was no more.

 

[Axe]

What a battle that was. I love the play-by-play combat scenes. Terrific! k:

 

[angels of fire]

Awesome battle but Reyzak is dead. Nooooooo:cray::cray::cray:

 

[Dirge Eterna]

The astute among you who read The Emperor Protects and Only in Death know that I kill off a major character every now and then. Thin out the story. Make room for new, awesome characters I can kill off in the next one.

Next part tomorrow! (Wow! This one went fast, only four more chapters!)
-Dirge

 

[Dirge Eterna]

Just going to update this a bit. I didn't have any more to post after that last chapter, been writing up the last part and the next story, Chronicles of Deimos, the fourth of five I'm going to write on Altair (and don't forget the Lictor. Not done with him yet either...). I've already got the next line of stories planned out.

-Dirge

 

[Dirge Eterna]

TOMB OF STONE

Altair watched sadly as they took Reyzak's body away. The demon's armor was loose, and a small amulet fell from it, hitting the blood-saturated earth with a splash.

Altair picked up the trinket. He turned it over in his hand, noting the large ruby dominating the center of it. A small golden ring kept the jewel surrounded, and a small golden chain extended from the top of the ring. Altair looked at the demons carefully laying Reyzak's body onto a stretcher, and started to move towards them, charm in hand.

It's yours

"Excuse me?"

While you were out during the voyage here, Reyzak told me a great many things, some of which I will not reveal to you until you are ready. That is Asmodiel's Heart. It belonged to Reyzak's father, after which is named. It carries many charms and enchantments. Reyzak told me to inform you of this upon his death.

"Sad it had to end this way."

None the less. You know what must be done.

Two days later, they burned the majority of the dead. Reclaimed Apothecaries moved from tent to tent, treating the wounded, while Daemonicum Healers and Chirugens used warp abilities to mend wounds.

Altair stood alone atop the hill he had observed the battle from, a large stone block before him. The surface was pitted and cracked, and a statue stood behind it. To Altair's eye, the statue seemed to be unwilling to follow a single shape, constantly shifting and moving. Somehow, the Daemonicum's War Totem had been untouched in all the madness in the fight for Terra. Vrael and Uraj had brought it from the field to place it over Reyzak's tomb.

Altair reached out to touch the worn stone of the tomb. It's surface turned blue at his touch. He felt a tear roll down his cheek, he wiped it away. Altair turned from the tomb, warring with his emotions. Stormreaver sat heavily on her dampers a mile away, engines slowly powering up. Along with Asmodiel's Heart, the venerable ship had been Altair's inheiritance from Reyzak. Already, the demons were aboard, as well as the Reclaimed. The marines Fredric had brought with him resided in specially constructed Warp Chambers, that would protect them from the madness the ship attracted in the Warp.

[Shipmaster, the Stormreaver's war spirit is prepared for liftoff.]

Altair nodded to himself. He opened the comm to the ship.

[Very well. Tell Vrael to power up the engines. I'll only be a moment.]

Altair rose to his full height, and removed his helmet. He placed it on the tomb, and replaced it with Reyzak's golden-edged helm. His horns curved out from under it, creating the impression the helm was part of his skull rather than a piece of armor.

He picked up Ristvak'baen and walked slowly down the hill, approaching the ship.

 

[Dirge Eterna]

INHERITANCE

Altair paced back and forth along the bridge of Stormreaver, his armored claws making a harsh rasp on the decking.

"Shipmaster, we are approaching the coordinates you provided. Launch teams are assembled, and the drop troops await your order."

"Very well, inform Fredric and Vrael I will attend them shortly."

"Aye aye, Shipmaster."

He nodded to the demon before the drop console, noting the green lights across the panel. Altair moved to the rings in the floor before the command chair, and activated the portal.

He appeared a dozen feet from the drop-pod. Vrael and a dozen heavily armed Shock Troopers waited for him. Vrael held up a bundle of equipment.

"Shipmaster. Warpsight optics, standard tactical vest, and this is a new one," he said.

He held up a vast, blocky rifle.

"C-10 Impaler. Just came up from Procurement. Thought you might like a test fire."

He indicated the straw dummy at the end of the hall.

Altair nodded his thanks, then took the Impaler, and in one swift motion, turned, and fired.

A blue bolt of pure Warp energy arced down the corridor, and hit the dummy. It blasted into a dozen blazing fragments, starting small bonfires on the floor as the burning chunks smacked into the floor.

Altair looked, half horrified and half in awe.

"Nice choice, my friend."

Vrael nodded, gesturing with his own rifle. "It's a nice piece of kit, to be sure, boss."

He walked down the gangplank, hooves clinking quietly as he stepped into the pod. His squad cocked their weapons, and followed him.

Ten minutes later, Altair's drop pod smashed into the Cadian soil, throwing up mud and rocks.

Vrael was first down the ramp, his Impaler in one clawed fist.

"Spread out. They're no telling what's taken up refuge here since Cadia fell."

Altair noted the other pods touching down close by. A Soulgrinder exited a pod a half-klick from their squad. Vrael put his claw to his ear, as if listening.

"Altair. Fredric and the Reclaimed report they've touched down two klicks north of our position, over that ridge. They've approached the Pylon. So far we're not recieving any contacts."

Altair nodded, pulling his black cloak tighter around his armor. The surface of Cadia had become a blasted wasteland after Abaddon had decided to simply bomb the planet into submission from orbit. The fleet that had destroyed the planet was still in orbit, in around fifty thousand pieces, Vrael had told him. Cadia was a dead world, full of rotting cities and dust. However, 5,810 black monoliths still stood without a single scratch on their surface.

The Beacons, as the Daemonicum called them, were built nearly ten thousand years before humanity even reached their moon. The first Council of Deimos decreed the stable route from the Warp would prove useful to their fleets. It was abandoned after the Imperium took Cadia, and turned it into a fortress.

Altair's armored claws clicked against the polished black floor of the Beacon Prime. Almost imperceptible to men, the Pylon was black. So completely black that the light around it was bent around it, creating a rip in the very sky with it's majesty.

He approached the flat, black altar sat squarely in the center of the structure, Vrael's Shock Troopers fanning out around the entrance. Asmodiel's Heart began to glow softly under his armor. He pulled the gem off, noticing a perfect indentation in the substance of the altar. He placed the amulet in the groove, completing the fine web of golden wire arcing around the altar's sides and top. A greenish glow built around the gem, finally releasing the energy it had been created for.

A silent explosion of green energy shook from the temple, flashing across the planet even as the crew watched from Stormreaver in high orbit. Thousands of green waves radiated from each of the pylons, until the planet glowed with Null energy.

Khalis watched in awe from the bridge as Cadia rang with psychic energy. He looked in awe at the sensor readouts from the nose of Stormreaver

"Shiplord! We're losing warp contacts fast! One diklick! Two deklicks! Five deklicks! The Portal is opneing!"

A massive gate appeared before the ship, almost twenty times the length of Stormreaver in diameter. Altair's contact icon flashed on the scanner.

A crash resonated through the ship as twenty shuttles landed in the hangers.

"Khalis, engines all ahead full! The Portal to Deimos is only going to stay open for thirteen minutes!"

Khalis grabbed the throttle, and without pausing for a one-liner, pushed it all the way forward, and watched as Stormreaver obeyed it's master's wishes, lurching to full burn and disappearing into the Warp.

 

[Dirge Eterna]

HELLDIVERS

Altair took a pair of binocs from Vrael. He peered through the goggles, noting the smudge where the Daemonicum's city once stood. A pair of white demons stood, sifting through the ash. One picked up a bone, and motioned for the other.

Vrael edged his Impaler over the crest of the hill, and looked through the gently glowing sight.

"I have a shot."

"Wait. We don't know who they are."

Altair stood up, and silently strode down the decline, until he was ten feet from the demons.

"And you are?"

The demon closest to him reached for a sword. The second grabbed his hand.

"We are servants of Lord Damias, the First chancellor of the Daemonica Court. Your leader is to present himself to Lord Damias as soon as possible."

The demon pulled a fat scroll from it's belt and lobbed it at Altair. He caught it.

Altair's eyes skimmed over the paper, and he looked at Vrael.

"We go. Prepare the Stormreaver"

Vrael nodded.

---------------------------------

An hour later, a black cathedral came into view from the Stormreaver's viewscreen. As they got closer it became apparent the fortress was vast, easily as large as a Space Hulk, and made of the same material as Cadia's Pylons.

Stormreaver found it's way inside the hangers of the base. As Altair, Machira, Uraj, Khalis, and Vrael walked down the ramp, a huge demon clad in marble armor was waiting for them.

"You would be Lord Damias?" asked Altair, looking the demon in the eye.

"I have that honor, yes."

Altair and his party followed Damias down long corridors, past banner-lined hallways. Altair noted snipers in the rafters and blank-faced demons with larger versions of the Impalers fused to their forearms. Damias noticed his gaze.

"We must be prepared. The Daemonicum is not the most revered force in Deimos."

Damias sat down at a long obsidian table. Other demons were already seated. Altair saw a lithe, feminine demon surrounded by obviously Slaaneshi demons. A red monster had a cohort of similar creatures. An unhealthy-looking demon sat nearly swamped in Nurglings. A black demon sat with it's arms folded over it's bare chest. A white demon like the ones Altair had seen earlier sat beside the black creature.

Finally, the demon next to Altair was completely covered in a black robe, the edge tattered and frayed. It's eyes shone from a shadow covering it's face.

Altair took his seat at the far end of the table from Damias. The demon stood up and drew his sword, stabbing it into the globe set into the table. The other demons followed his lead. Altair stabbed Ristvak'baen into the stone. The globe crisped to ash around the blade, but the sword remained firmly embedded in the rock.

"My fellow demon lords, I hereby convene the thirteenth Daemonica Council. Please present your symbols."

Altair looked at Machira in panic. She shrugged.

A squat demon nudged Altair's side with a wooden bowl. Altair noticed a pile of gems similar to Asmodiel's Heart in it. He hesitantly took off the amulet and dropped it into the bowl. Damias nodded.

"Well then. Altair, as the newest Daemonica lord, and successor to Reyzak, you have the position of Demon Lord of the Segmenta Obscurus. Now, I would like to know how you came by this position."

For the next hour, Altair recounted his journey all the way from his first meeting with Azulanthis on Substance, nearly two hundred years before.

As he finished, a demon ran into the room, obviously panicked.

He whispered something in Damias' ear.

The demon lord stood up. "My brothers and sisters, our presence is no longer a secret. Ready every vessel. We go to battle."

The demons let loose a savage cheer, pulling swords and axes from the table and running to the hangers.

Ten minutes later, a call came in.

[All Daemonica ships. This is Imperial Expeditionary Force 001 of the New Imperium. Fight, and all of you will die. Surrender, and most of you will die.]

Altair turned to Uraj at the helm.

"I thought the Emperor was on our side!"

"Apparently not." said the smith.

 

[Luciferi]

Man!

I found this story by chance less than an hour ago.

It's incredible!

Should write a full length book or better yet a series of books in my opinion :biggrin:

 

[Dirge Eterna]

Thanks! Always like feedback with my stories. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.
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FINEST HOUR

Everto Justica was the largest ship Altair had ever been in command of. It dwarfed the Stormreaver, secure in the holds below. Damias had given command of the venerable cruiser to him as a token as much as a weapon for the battle to come. Altair's own crew had been supplemented by the skeleton crew left aboard it during peacetime.

Seeing as peacetime barely qualified as a time in Deimos, Altair considered himself lucky.

The ship was gunmetal grey, never having been painted by the shipyards at Rann. It was nearly two miles long in the beam, and sported enough weapondry to destroy Stormreaver in a quarter-volley. A vast Warp Cannon dominated the prow.

Altair looked down at the ship from the bridge near the stern. Compared to Stormreaver's few crewmen, the Everto Justica' bridge was a scene of barely contained anarchy.

"Shipmaster! Torpedoes have a lock!"

"Guidance systems running at ninety percent!"

"Broadside batteries ready to fire!"

"Iridensence slowing to engagement speed!"

"Yarakiel squadron forming up at point zero-two-niner."

Altair sat in the command chair, noting with some satisfaction it had holes cut through it, for his wings and tail. He gestured at the weapons station.

"Are all the weapons green?"

The demon nodded. "Aye, all guns reporting one hundred percent."

The sensors demon turned. "We have multiple contacts closing with the fleet."

Altair's comm chirped.

[All vessels, this is Lord Damias of the Umbra Penitus. The enemy thinks he has won. He can taste his victory. Already he gloats, and dances atop our bodies. All ships! Raise the colors! Engage at will! For Daemonica, and Justice unending!]

A demon looked to Altair.

"Raise the colors." he said.

A minute later, a black flag ran up the comms spire above the bridge. A white cross with a jagged red symbol through it adorned the flag.

Altair's sensor officer turned again. "Shipmaster! Enemy contacts approaching torpedo range!"

The weapons officer snarled.

"Fire at will, all guns."

Everto Justica lurched as the building-sized Nova torpedoes exited their tubes, streaking towards the first Imperial ship.

"Warp cannon prepared to fire. All hands, brace for firing."

Altair gripped the command seat's armrests.

The ship lurched backwards a dozen miles, as a massive blast of blinding blue-purple light arced to a Retribution-class cruiser, and ignited it.

The ship flashed, then burned so quickly by the time Altair looked again, it was only a charred shell, blue flames licking it's metal bones.

The fleets rapidly closed, firing torpedoes and lances until they closed so far that the broadside guns could turn to fire.

[Shipmaster! Port side gunnery decks have a lock]

Altair activated his comm. [Port broadsides, fire at will!]

Red lasers dueled with purple voidcannon as the two ships fought each other bitterly. The weapons demon turned to face Altair.

"Shipmaster, the torpedo tubes are reloaded. We have a target."

Altair nodded. "By all means."

The demon nodded. "Aye, Shipmaster."

Altair looked at the projection set into a table. The green icons of his torpedoes acred toward the red icons of three Cobra Interceptors. The first dodged by a mile, a hair's breadth in space combat. The second also turned, avoiding the first three torpedoes. The third was hit by two, ripping it in half. The fourth torpedo caught the second Cobra in the stern, blasting it's engines into scrap and plasma.

After an hour of fighting, Everto Justica was hurt. Her broadside batteries had taken so many shots Altair had closed off the portside decks, after evacuating all the gunners. Her main Warp Cannon was offline, after a lucky hit took out it's warp conduits. The torpedoes had run out of ammunition, their crews had reported over twenty kills.

The Imperial fleet was shattered. The last flagship, a massive, golden Emperor class, was surrounded by a few smoldering escorts. Altair noted one so badly damaged it would never make it out of Deimos.

[Imperial cruiser. Lord Damias has granted you a chance to surrender. Your fleet is destroyed. Your crews are dying. Repent and be granted mercy. Refuse and die.]

[Godless filth! The God-Emperor's new Imperium will crush all in it's path! You will all die!]

A screen to Altair's right suddenly spiked.

"What's that?"

"Energy readings..." said a demon, looking at the screen with fear.

The Emperor-class exploded into a thousand blazing pieces, destroying it's escorts along with itself.

The defense officer spoke into the comm.

"Brace for debris." as though it happened every day.

Altair followed the burning ship until it was caught in Deimos' atmosphere, and plummeted to the planet's surface.

 

[Dirge Eterna]

LAST CHAPTER!!! Look for Chronicles of Deimos to start on Tuesday or so.
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EREBUS

Everto Justica limped through the debris field surrounding Deimos, her hull bleeding smoke from a dozen holes. Dozens of luckless crewmen had been caught in the blast when the Emperor-class had detonated it's drives. Altair knew his vessel was lucky. More than one Daemonica ship had been destroyed entirely in the blast.

Altair made his way down to the medical bays, greeting singed gunners and oily tech-adepts. His medicae (Altair thought it ironic he himself was a medicae, and having command thrust upon him seemed odd.) was named Iridea.

When he walked in, Iridea was wrist-deep in a knocked-out broadside gunner. Her tight white robes clashed wonderfully with her dark grey skin and green eyes, much like Altair's own. He swallowed before entering.

"So, how bad is it?"

Iridea chuckled, indicating the medbay. "Could be worse, could be better. Only double-digit deaths so far, I'm not expecting many more. Most of the crew here are stable, more or less. Anybody who died, died before they got here."

Altair nodded. The demon on the table's eyes fluttered open.

"Uh...Shipmaster. My crew..they-uh. My crew...where are they?"

Iridea looked at Altair with a painful gaze. the demon didn't notice.

Altair nodded imperceptibly to Iridea.

"They're fine. Get some rest, you'll need it." He said.

The demon nodded, and passed out again on the table.

Iridea sighed and finished stiching the demon's innards back together. She removed her gloves. "It never gets any easier. This is what command is all about."

Altair shook his head. "No, command is about your crew, or squad, or company. Your followers."

Iridea smiled. Altair swallowed again. "Well, then you've already passed your first test. The crews are practically celebrating your name. Last time Everto Justica was called out the 15th Black Crusade blew Cadia apart...they're praying a similar fate won't await them in real space."

Altair looked her in the eye. "That will have to wait, I'm afraid. Damias is taking the war to the southern isles, we're staying in Deimos for the moment, at least until we take Luna's warp gates and can move our forces easier."

"Well, at least you can stay for a while then."

Iridea had a curious look in her eyes.

Altair noticed it.

"My quarters are downstairs, right next to the mess." she said.

Altair smiled. "Can I buy you a drink?"

She looked at the floor, then at the medbay. "I'd like that."

----------------------------------------------------------------

Altair's quarters were two levels above Iridea's. At the time, no one was near the room, so only the black sword standing on it's point in the corner witnessed the dramatic scene.

A small splotch of ink appeared on the tapestry hung on the wall. Seconds later, it spread into a line of spiked black letters.

Lukas Altair, I know of your enemy. I know his weaknesses, and I know you will need my help. I have seen the future, and it is black with hatred and death. The prophecy at Valhalla was correct. You will need me, and you will need me soon. Look for the black shade at the Rock of Lost Souls. I wish you luck, for you will need it.

Ristvak'baen memorized the note as the ink faded and finally, disappeared from the tapestry, leaving it alone again.

 

[Master Andael]

good as always

 

[angels of fire]

I wonder if the writing was from the lictor, I hope so as I kinda liked that guy.

 

[Dirge Eterna]

Oh, then you'll enjoy the next story I think. As I said before, the Lictor is very, very important to both sides, but you won't know why until the bitter end.

(Unfortunate, as I already know the end! Muhahahahaha!)

See you next time!
-Dirge