Chaos forces had defeated the Blood Angels. The Black Legion and their allies were advancing after the routed loyalists as they fled through the woods. Iscariot and his squad of murderers had the honour of leading the hunt.
"My lord, a second force has…"
Screams and the buzz of chainswords came through the vox in Iscariot's helmet before it died. Had the Blood Angels regrouped?
"Brothers, answer! By Khorne, you cannot all be dead!" Iscariot yelled into the vox. The familiar repeating thunder of bolterfire in the distance lit up the night and the Black Legion squad formed a sheltron in reply. In the middle of the forest though, they were naked to an ambush. The most unskilled conscript could see that. Iscariot snarled at his men to stay silent as he sorted through the channels.
"Hyastus, I demand your reply!"
"They are right on top of us!" behind Hyastus' voice, Iscariot could hear chainblades roaring. "Tell me where they came from?" The signal died.
In a flash of plasma, the first of Iscariot's squad tumbled down. They were here too. Elite Black Legion bolters roared in answer at the woodlands around them.
"I can smell them. Blood for the blood…" something silenced the brother who had spoken. Chainswords roared, grenades burst among the sheltron and dust filled the air. A horde of giant shadows leapt out of the brown haze. The sheltron collapsed. Iscariot's bolter punched down one of the attacking shapes, but he could not kill them fast enough.
"We're surrounded!"
"No," growled Iscariot as his bolter clicked empty, "not like this."
"Dark gods take me."
"Drink deeply of me, Khorne."
"Not like this," Iscariot unsheathed his axe as the last of his squad went quiet. Iscariot caught a glimpse of a studded grey helm with pure black eyes.
Not a Blood Angel, something else.
A swinging chainsword blade filled Iscariot's vision.
"What rights do you have over us? I have seen chapters in the false Emperor's thrall who stand nearer to Khorne than I." –Alatar the Merciless to Asmodai
"Iscariot, speak."
The vox bead did nothing but hiss wet static.
"Iscariot? If you yet live, speak to your lord."
Silence.