Initiation
A Warhammer 40,000 Fan Fiction
OsirisLord
Chapter One
The sun shone weakly through the hazy clouds. The grass waved in the light breeze. Above scores of carrion birds circled over head, awaiting the slaughter that was to come. And high above, prying eyes watched with intent.
After seventy years the Angels of Death had returned to the world, to choose from among the strongest and boldest of the clans who would be fit to join them, and partake in the great war beyond the sky. Many had gathered here to be deemed worthy of this honor, or to die trying. As always they gathered at the specific spot, a circle of monolithic stones that were built to honor the site were the Angels first touched the world. Among them was a young boy of no more than thirteen years, with dark muddy hair that came down below his eyes as if to taunt his opponents to grab it. His name was Kael and although he was one of the youngest who had come, he was by no means a novice in the art of battle.
His entire life his father had prepared him for this. His father was the chieftain of their tribe and had missed the chance for the trial, and his father before him had failed. So thus Kael had no choice; either he would be chosen by the Angels, or he would die.
Even in the earliest memories he can recall he was been taught how to hold a weapon, how to take care of one, and how to kill with one. When he was seven he slew his first man. When he was twelve he presented to his father the head of the chief of a rival clan. And now, he would bring upon his family this ultimate honor, to journey to the ring of stones, and to never return.
Kael eyed the others suspiciously. Many of them looked nervous and confused. Others were confident and strode about the ring with an underserved poise. There were many weapons here, swords and axes and knives and spears. Different tribes and different nations. Different fighting stances and different arts. All in all, many different ways to die.
The gathered began to grow impatient. Here they all were but not one sign of the supposed Angels. One large boy around the age of fifteen stood out in the circle. His hair was cut almost to the scalp and he carried a large curved sword of a kind that Kael had never seen before. He lifted his head up the cloudy skies and bellowed a threat to the empty sky. Was he challenging the Angels of Death? Kael wondered.
Nothing happened. And so the large youth pulled the shield out from his back and began to bang his sword against it, screaming defiance into the sky. Just then, as if to answer his roars there came the sound of thunder, only louder and closer, as if the lightning had struck right in front of them. Many of the gathered dropped to the ground, shielding their heads from the sky. But Kael merely titled his head in the direction of the heavens. Above him he saw a large dark green bird of a kind he had never seen before, moving across the sky without moving its wings. The bird swopped down over the ring and has it passed it roared a fierce cry and brought with it a great wind that nearly knocked Kael to his feet. The youth in center did not cower during all of this, instead he grinned manically and beat his sword against his shield even harder, as though his little performance has summoned the beast.
The strange bird slowed down and landed on the hill overlooking the ring. As it did for a second the clouds parted and the sun shone momentarily onto the hill. The bird shone in the light as though it were made from metal, not flesh and bone. Kael could make out several figures disembark from the creature and while he could not make out their features entirely he could see they were clothed head to toe in strange green armor that shone in the light much in the same way the bird did and they wore long flowing bone white robes. Kael could neither believe his eyes, nor doubt what he was seeing. The Angels had come to judge them.
The gathered who had thrown themselves onto the floor now picked themselves up and stared at the figures on the hill in reverence. One of the Angels reached into his robe and pulled out a strange talisman. He pointed the talisman to the sky and shot out a ball of light and flame. The ball arched over the ring and as it did it appeared to bled liquid fire drop by drop, like a wound in the sky. As the ball reached the apex of its arc and descended it quickly began to lose its light until it disappeared entirely. Before coming to the trial the gathered were told many things by their elders. Where it was, who the Angels were, why they needed to chose, and what the sign was. This was the sign. And so the trial began.
The gathered charged at each other. Kael pulled out his small hand axe and swung it at the midrith of the closest youth. The youth parried the blow with a curved hunting knife. But the force of the axe was greater and it broke the knife. Kael kicked his opponent below the kneecaps and brought his axe down as the youth fell to his knees. Before Kael could pull his weapon free a club came out of his field of vision and smacked him across the check. Kael stumbled, but managed to recover himself in time to doge the second blow. Kael rolled to the side of his second opponent and managed to free his axe from the body of the fallen youth. Kael managed to bring his axe up in time to block the next blow. The edge of his axe bit deeply into the club. This took his opponent by surprise, and Kael took advantage of the situation. He pulled on his axe and managed to free the club from his opponent's hand. Kael took the club and held it in his other hand. Then he smashed the club across his opponent's head before bringing his axe in for the finishing blow.
All around Kael the gathered continued to butcher each other. The ancient stones around them once again soaked up the blood of the weak. As the slaughter continued the Angels watched methodically, judging which of the survivor's possessed the traits they sought. Kael they took notice of however briefly.
Kael strode through the ring of stones with a feeling of satisfaction he had never known. He liked to kill. Always had. He liked the power it gave him, the power to chose in an instant who lives and who dies. But this was different. This was the fulfillment of his life. Kael's father had taught him nothing other than the art of killing. He would bring upon his people the honor of being chosen. There was no other option. He would not face his ancestors disgraced by failure.
Everything around him began to move in slow motion. He ducked a swing from a sword, then plowed his axe into the attackers intestines, not stopping to see who it was. He smashed his shield into the spine of another, then bringing his axe down onto the upper vertebrae,
decapitating him. Kael became a god of death, bringing down the eternal slumber to all around him. He was invincible and nothing could stop him. Kael would be chosen by the Angels, he would go on to fight the great wars for all eternity. He would not travel to the halls of his ancestors in shame. And then stars exploded in front of him.
Kael reeled from the blow to the back of his skull. He fell to the ground and broke a tooth, but managed to compose himself and rolled out of the way as a wicked curved sword came down on him. Kael jumped to his feet and came face to face with the same large; nearly shaven youth who had bellowed to sky what seemed like lifetimes ago.
The youth charged at Kael, but Kael was faster and successful parried the strike. The youth changed stance and went for Kael's thighs, but Kael blocked the blow again. The large youth was too slow for Kael, but at the same time he never paused in his attack. After each block the youth just kept on swinging at him. Kael continued to lose ground, and then realized the youth's strategy; to use his size and endurance to his advantage and just wear Kael out until his arms would be too strained to fight back. He needed to change the tide in this duel. Another swing came at Kael but this time he blocked with his shield. This sudden change in tactic momentarily threw the youth off guard, and Kael intended to take full advantage of it.
Kael pivoted on his foot, swinging his body around and driving the head of his axe right into the youth's side. But the axe stuck in for a second and in his anger the youth smashed his shield right into Kael's face. This freed him and his axe but left Kael in a daze. Before he could regain composure pain exploded in his chest. The youth pummeled his shield into Kael's gut in anger. He just kept bludgeoning Kael with his shield, screaming with rage. Kael dropped to his knees, let go of his shield and grabbed his opponent's. The youth tried to pull his shield free but Kael refused to let go. This only succeeded to further anger him, and the youth raised his sword above his head to deliver the killing blow. But this left him exposed and in that moment Kael just swung his axe as hard as he could into the youth's stomach. The youth staggered back in pain, his strength drained away, his knees buckled, he dropped his weapons, and he collapsed on the ground face first.
Kael could not stand back up. The rush of adrenaline in his system had passed and with it the pain in his chest returned. His ribs were broken and every breath was agony. His strength was gone and he could not even raise his arms to brush his hair away. Kael used what was left of his strength to turn his head around. There was no one else standing. All of the gathered were either slain or dying. The figures on the hill and come down and began to move amongst the dead.
With that the last of his strength left him. Kael dropped his weapons and fell on his back. As he did he spat up glob of blood. His vision strained and he found it hard to keep his eyes open. If this was how it felt to die, then he felt a brief moment of regret for those that he had slew this day. But it passed, and Kael just lay there, refusing to die. He would not die. Not until the Angels had made their decision. With stubborn refusal he clung to life with all of his will. Just then a shadow fell over him. His vision was so weak he could not make out who it was. Was it an Angel, or was it his rival come to finish him off.
"This one," he thought he heard before darkness took him and the pain disappeared.