This story is an unofficial story based, without permission, on the Warhammer/Warhammer 40,000 intellectual property owned by Games Workshop Ltd.
"Hurry, come, you are close to me now, come."
Syakotus looked ahead of the darkness using his bionic eye.
"We do not have time for this I have to get to that tower," he said, looking at Korde.
"Why? What awaits us there Captain?" he asked.
The Captain slowly walked Korde away from the others, so he could speak privately with his Sergeant.
"I have something I must confess with you, Korde. But I cannot explain in great detail. Though we are short on time I will explain of what I can."
Korde put a slight smile across his veteran face. "You have no need to keep things from me, Captain. You know you have always had my trust."
"I have been having visions for the last three months. Something has been drawing me here."
"What? Surely Chapter Master Pedro Kantor would not have sent us here to investigate the Inquisitors disappearance if he knew this."
"He does not know."
"Surely he does. Captain, what have you not been telling me?"
"I have used Brother Librarian Grailin to confide in. It was with his advice that I kept this from Chapter Master. He believed that we should discover the origin of my visions. And the voices that have called me here."
"I understand. Forgive me if I sounded as though I questioned your loyalty to the chapter. I of all know your loyalty within the chapter," Korde finished, bowing his head.
Syakotus walked over towards Niven and Lebenzon. "Though it pains me to do this of all our loses today, I must order you to buy time for us."
Niven looked up, removing his helmet, revealing his short-cropped, brown hair.
Even through the surrounding darkness, Syakotus looked on at the Marine's youthful face.
"We have known the moment we arrived in this system that our deaths were inevitable. We will try to buy the time you need, Captain. We will not fall without taking some of them with us."
Syakotus bowed his head in respect of the two Crimson Fists. "Your sacrifices will not be forgotten," he said, walking away from them.
Korde, Judson, Horton and Syakotus picked up their pace, beginning to run down the dark cavern that seemed endless.
Niven crouched down on one knee, aiming his bolter forwards in anticipation of the approaching Necrons. Lebenzon did the same, whilst saying a short prayer to the Emperor. Both Marines watched the darkness light up with a green glow as it began showing up all the markings hidden to them within the cavern. The Green glow was followed by the approaching Necron Lord leading the Necron soldiers following him.
Syakotus and the remaining three stopped to listen to the sound of bolter fire echo within the dark cavern. It was followed by the sound of the gauss guns. The sound died out from the screaming of the two Marines. Then the sound was gone, and the marching of metal on stone began once more.
Grailin and Gevedin saw the castle before them across the field it was centred at. The castle was tall, yet it had the appearance of a gothic medieval church. The castle's end had a huge tower placed at the end. The tower faced the cliff, looking on to the ocean of thrashing waves below.
Both Marines looked up at the tall dark tower. At the top was the bright green glow Syakotus had told them to follow.
"Guess we're here then," Gevedin said, looking across the field for any hostile opponents whilst flexing his lightning claws.
Grailin started to walk across the field with his power axe clenched in both hands.
Suddenly, a loud roar of an explosion caught the attention of both. Looking back they saw the woods they'd just left explode into an array of psyche fire and gauss blasts. The trees became a blaze.
"Grey Knights," Grailin said, turning back towards the castle.
Looking back at Gevedin, Grailin called out to him: "Come, our captain needs us. Believe me. This I know."
Hovering at the centre of the tower the sphere hung motionless, glowing brightly for all to see. Behind it stood the deformed radical Inquisitor, Salvanfor, with Prill ever at his side. The brick work of the tower had black stains of soot laced across every orifice, along with the smell of burnt flesh. The floor was stained with dried blood from the human remains sprawled everywhere. The wind and rain blew Prill's cape from side to side whilst he followed his master to the towers edge.
"Bring the prisoners to me," ordered Salvanfor, looking across to the Reaver guarding the sphere. The Reaver disappeared down the stairway from the tower.
Prill slowly walked closely to the Sphere, holding his metallic hand out above its bright green glow.
"Get away, idiot," yelled Salvanfor.
"My master, forgive me. I was merely taking a look. My aim is only to please you, my master," Prill said, as if he were a weasel begging for its life.
Both men looked across the field into the woods that now were ablaze in flames, being made worse by the strong winds carrying the flames forwards.
"How does my master intend to stop the Grey Knights?" Prill asked.
"Once I have harnessed the power of the Necrosphere it will not be too difficult at all."
"But, my master, the Necrosphere has deformed you. You are more heretic than ever, they will not let you breathe."
Salvanfor looked across at Prill, with the rain dancing of his head. "Watch your words, Prill. I'm no heretic."
"But, master, they will see you as that."
"Prill, be silent. Now you are beginning to annoy me."
"If it pleases my master we do not need both of the prisoners to watch. You only need the Inquisitor to witness your betrayal."
Salvanfor spun around and grabbed Prill by his metallic throat.
"What have you just said?"
"It is true. But if it pleases you, let me have the woman."
Salvanfor released his grip of Prill, letting him stagger back slightly.
"Of what possible use is she to you? You are nothing more than a freak. And a bad one at that."
"No, master, not for my pleasure. My master, I want some of her flesh for my own. Master, you have seen how pure her flesh be."
Salvanfor relinquished his grip of Prills throat, then watched him drop to his mechanical knees with a clang. The respirator attached to his back hissed, pumping oxygen to his decaying lungs, whilst he momentarily chocked. The pistons within his legs made a grinding noise with his every movement.
"Fine, have her. She is yours to do as you will."
Prill left the dismal, gothic tower.
Syakotus emerged from the darkness of the long cavern at the stairway leading up. Behind him Korde stood sniffing the stale air.
"Captain, one thing bothers me. Where in the name of the Emperor are these damned dreadnaughts coming from?" he asked, loading a fresh bolter clip into his plasma-bolter-combi.
Horton began stepping up the steps that seemed to spiral into something more. His journey was cut short by a blood-stained axe being impaled in his skull and down his upper torso, cutting him clean in two halves. His blood splashed back down into the remaining three Marines. Syakotus looked up, at the sight of a large, muscular Reaver covered in still wet human skin, dripping fresh blood on to the stairs below his feet.
Syakotus spun around quickly enough to see the shower of blood and guts that were once Horton. Korde leapt up at the Reaver using his full body weight, dropping his combi to the ground with an echo. The Reaver swung the axe into the Sergeant's chest, knocking him back. Syakotus plunged his power sword into the Reavers open chest. A fresh flow of blood dropped gently down his blade, followed by the massive, bulky body of the Reaver. Judson was knocked from his feet by a sudden attack from his rear by a Necron. Spinning around he saw his attacker was indeed not just a Necron, but a Necron Lord. Coloured in a shining mithril silver, its eyes had a disturbing green glow. In one hand he held his large staff, whilst his other hand clasped Judsons throat.
"Captaaaaaiin," he screamed out.
The Necron Lord hoisted up Judson above its metallic, shining head, with its hand still clenching his throat. Judson, choking from the lack of oxygen, dropped his bolter to the floor with a clang, knocking the gun to slide across the floor itself. The bolter slid into the wall hard enough to knock the trigger. letting out a burst of bolter fire, ricocheting off the walls. Judson took a hold of the Necron Lord with both of his hands, attempting to headbutt the thing.
Syakotus grabbed Korde's hand, helping him back to his feet, only to witness the Necron lord impale its large blade-like staff into the chest of Judson. With that, Syakotus raised his arm with the attached storm bolter and fired. The bolt shells bounced off the Lords face, whilst it tore what was left of Judson in two. The Lord was covered from head to toe in Judson's blood and guts.
Korde unhooked his thunder hammer from his back, swinging it straight into the face of the Necron Lord.
Releasing both half's of the now dead Judson, the Lord fell back from the stairs. Syakotus kicked it hard in the chest, before swing his power sword across its neck. The head dropped from its shoulders whilst the remaining body parts staggered backwards then dropped lifelessly to the ground.
Leaving his combi behind Korde began his way up the spiral steps, into the light above, followed by Syakotus.
At the top of the stairway both Syakotus and Korde entered the courtyard of the gothic and dismal looking castle. Both men stopped to look back from the echoing sound of bolter fire below. The darkness below was lit up in a spectacular array of yellow and red.
"What in the name of the Emperor?" Korde said, with a tone of intrigue.
Hive World Terra