Back to the odyssey, this chapter's a bit long and is a little different.

Sand, Blood and Lust

I dropped my lasgun and pulled out my bayonet thrusting at heretic, bringing the blade down on her neck. She sidestepped me, leaving me to fall to the ground, she then raised her own lasgun.

"CORPSE WORSHIPPERS!" She shouted, before she could pull the trigger the sound of metal hitting metal rang out. Blood spurted from her chest before she collapsed to the dust. But I didn't stop moving as the sounds of lasgun cracks and shouting of battle enveloped me. I picked up my lasgun and took aim at a figure in the storm, then realised I couldn't tell who was who, so I began hunting down renegades. I changed my mind when I saw the silhouette of an autocannon in a crater. I headed there instead. When I arrived I only found Zhixen, Bolin was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's your brother?" I crouched back to back against him, he had taken over as the gunner, and he was holding his chest in pain. I looked to see a burn mark on the left breastplate.

"I'm fine, it's just stings a little. Bolin ran off yelling something about blood, he took the shovel." We continued to stay there without firing. We heard the distinctive sound of an officer's shrill whistle being blown repeatedly. That was a rallying signal by the lieutenant. I helped him carrying the auto cannon towards our officer. When we arrived we found a makeshift dugout. More guardsmen, Jackson, Liam and Sergeant were there, along with most of the platoon. We dropped down alongside them.

"Which ones are ours?" Jackson asked. We waved our lasguns around around. Everything looked the same behind the blanket of the storm. We're more concerned that Ross and Bolin aren't here, but we had more immediate threats to worry about.

"KHORNE WILL LEAD OUR BLADES…TOWARDS TERRA…CHAOS BE PRAISED!" The music was heard faintly in the distance. The enemy must have called for backup. We all knew we were in for a lot more.

"Lieutenant says to cover the command squad as they move to that hill over there!" Sergeant pointed to a small mound in the distance. We nodded and began firing into the wind. It was more flash than fire as we had not target. Meanwhile the lieutenant, his vox carrier, medic and lascannon team ran for it. We moved with them. More men rallied, obviously getting the gist of what was happening. Our platoon was nearly back up to our original number. We reached the hill and set up a perimeter, waiting for further orders.

"SIR IF THE STORM STOPS AND WE'RE HERE WE WILL DIE!" Sergeant shouted to the lieutenant. The music kept blaring in the background. We continued his orders to lay down fire, volleying lasrounds turning the hill into a light show.

"WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE TANKS ARE COMING FRO…" Before he could finish we got an answer with an explosion hitting the sand nearby. Sending it flying into our faces, It was followed up by a lascannon beam, slicing a guardsmen in two, giving off a sizzling sound of fat with a smell of burnt flesh and cloth.

"Turn the lascannon around and fire in that direction." The veterans did so quickly. The burning laser lit, followed by the explosion in the silhouette of a Large Crab. However another shell exploded near us, followed by the shrieks of wounded guardsmen.

"WE MOVE OR WE DIE!" There was panic in sergeant's voice, I didn't bother looking back at them as we saw more shadows moving towards us. Couldn't tell if reinforcements arrived or the enemy patrol had regrouped.

"…HEAVY WEAPONS TEAMS AND SQUAD TWO STAY HERE AS REAR GUARD! EVERYONE ELSE MOVE!" As we were squad one, we picked ourselves off the ground and moved with the rest of the platoon. Then I realised Zhixen needed a second man to carry the autocannon, I stayed with him. Wounded were flung over shoulders or carried by arms and legs. More men were cut down in lasgun fire during the retreat. Round after round was going in the direction of the enemy, with my lasgun looking like a laser pointer next to Zhixen's gun. The autocannon started to make a light clicking sound.

"I'M OUT!" We knew how to reload the autocannon, Zhixen frantically unclipped the drum as we both fumbled to click it in, with the load clack of the bolt being pulled back it was another 20 rounds of hell to be unleash.

"EVERYONE MOVE!" The squad two sergeant directed over the sounds of battle, straining his grainy voice. I slung my lasgun over my shoulder. I went to hold the auto cannon by the barrel, dropping it in pain as the barrel burnt my hand. I took my bandana off and used it as a mitt for one hand at the tip of the gun. A glancing hit across my shoulder pad gave me enough adrenaline to endure the pain of the other. Even if the actual way of carrying an auto cannon is to take it off the tripod and carry it separately, we didn't have time.

We were out of there, running through the desert with lasgun rounds streaking past, not the first time at least. But there was no medic to help, and we were alone, to fall would be death on its own. Then we heard that dreaded whistling.

"DOWN!" Those shells weren't aiming for the platoon. We could hear the explosions behind making us all sprint even faster. We eventually met up with the rest of the platoon. All sitting around a wrecked leman russ. We joined them as we fell to our knees. After the adrenalin died down I could feel my mouth cracking with the amount of sand I inhaled. I went for my water bottle, and washed it out, making sure minimal sand went back in.

"Men, we did our job…we did it to the best of our ability…day break will be soon. We're heading back to Alfada." The lieutenant said this and it was immediately met with protest, I couldn't be bothered opening my mouth, that's how tired I felt.

"Ross is out there!" Jackson yelled, I thought he was just a bit confused and he would have linked up by now. I wanted to light a ciggie, but remembered I left them back in the trench, I felt around my pockets to see if I had any sweets left on me.

"MY BROTHERS STILL OUT THERE!" Zhixen shouted over the others. The medic tended to the wounded, some died of their injuries and were getting a makeshift burial. I helped them in grave digging, using our helmets as shovels. After getting the hole deep enough I moved to the first body. His entire side was covered in shrapnel wounds, must have taken bits of the cannon shell, his head was missing. I began recovering his gear then saw a glimpse of movement as I looked up. I grabbed the nearest lasgun and pointed it at the figure.

"CONTACT!" The thing didn't look like the ones I had seen before, this one was skinny and masculine. It carried a weapon of some kind in its hand, everyone turned with their guns ready, but no one pulled the trigger. We all watched as he/she/it came forward, it was then we saw the blood.

The clothing and armour were torn, exposing his torso. He was covered from head to toe in scars, bullet holes and burns. In his hand was a shovel dripping with blood, guts, bone fragments and other parts of the human body. In his other hand he held two heads, messily cut at their necks with the faces of fear painted onto them. The figures entire body from his hair to his boots were saturated in crimson. However the face stood out the most, a wicked yellow grin with eyes that spoke of pure bliss.

"Morning mates." Bolin said, as he continued to walk towards us, we all stood in fear, some of us even backing away from him. Looking at him he shouldn't even be alive, the blood on him wasn't just the enemies. One particular gash went across his stomach, showing off a sight that made several men including me gag. A bayonet wound for sure. He stopped and slowly looked down at himself, then calmly looked up and faced us.

"Eh, forgot about that. Well, Khorne helped me…anyway." He dropped the heads and shovel, as he collapsed. An ear splitting scream ran out as Zhixen dashed forward to his brother's side. We all stood silently as he cried for his brother to get up, tears streaming down his cheeks as he did so. The medic went forward, placing his hand on Bolin's neck, ignoring the pleas of Zhixen to do something. He then stood up shaking his head.

"Blood loss." Was all the medic said, we opted to have the bodies brought back for Alfada for a proper burial instead of out here. I then realized Bolin was carrying heads and the corpse I was about to bury was decapitated…I didn't bring that up with anyone. While carrying back the wounded and dead, we found the Ratlings, but when I counted there were only four of them.

"Aye Ruru, where's Ngaio?" I asked, he was the one with the coat, the one who could get things. Ruru just looked at me his expression hidden with a bandana.

"Tank shell got him." I nodded, the rest of the ratlings looked sad, that put them down to four. I continued with the rest of my squad as we walked to Alfada, with daybreak hitting us.

It didn't take as long as expected to get back to Alfada. We took the corpses to the cemetery. Zhixen stayed at his brothers side the entire way, ignoring the pleas of medical staff to have his chest wound examined. That left us all wondering where Ross was. We all knew that he couldn't be alive. No one survives a day in no man's land.

The next two days had a sense of overhanging dread. Zhixen didn't speak for that entire time, sitting on his own with a piece of paper in one hand and a pen in the other. Struggling to think of something to write home. The rest of us were scribbling away, as mail day was upon us.

'Dear Family

We lost a great deal in the past few days. Bolin was killed in action during operations against the heretics. But I'm more concerned that he went mad. He went about murdering enemies with a shovel, before collapsing due to blood loss. Ross has also gone missing, may the Emperor protect him. But still I shall carry on my duty for you. I hope you are all going well back home, better than us.

Love, Bruce Duwal'

I then slid it into the envelope and placed it with the others in a bundle for the mailman to pick up. Zhixen did find something to write down, he wrote down two words and placing the charms that Bolin had around his neck in the envelope. He then went back to sulking by himself. He was moved to the autocannon shooter while Jackson became the new loader.

"Hey mates, I'm back from the dead!" We heard the familiar voice of Lance as he came through the trench. We all looked up at him. His happy smile turned to a blank expression and as he looked around it turned to sadness.

"Oh" Was all he said as he sat down next to me. He put some billy tea into his mess tray as we went back to silence. Lance was given back the vox caster. He also had a wound stripe on his sleeve.

They said the siege would last for eight weeks, we were all raising our billy tea trays to the fifth month that we held this port. We had all been in the guard for over one and a half years, exempt sergeant who had been in for way longer. Time really flies when the next day could be your last. Most of that time was spent waiting for orders. Most of this siege was just sitting in a dusty hole.

I kept looking over the trench, hoping that Ross would be there, all well and fine. He had been missing for weeks now. Probably dead, sacrificed to some dark god these heathens worshipped. I was tired, my sleep was restless and uncomfortable, and my crotch had been flaring up all night. I volunteered to take over Jackson's watch as he could get some sleep that I couldn't. I doubted my eyes when I saw a figure approaching the line. As I rubbed some of the tiredness out of them the creature had jumped forward. That is when I saw the curvy outline of a woman, with a purple tinge.

"SHIT!" I went down to wake up the others, to find none of them there; I was alone in this trench with only my lasgun, and whatever the thing was. I pulled the lasgun off my shoulder and turned to no mans land. My heart stopped when the creature was no longer there. But then my heart went into overdrive when I felt warm breath on the back of my neck.

"Hello handsome." It was right behind me, I couldn't turn, run or do anything. I was frozen in terror as the creature was so close I could feel its presence. I felt a hand wipe across my forehead as it took a bead of sweat on its finger. The air was thick with a fresh intoxicating smell, one that made everything seem…better.

"Come on sweetie, there's no reason to be afraid." The voice was sweet and sultry, slowing my heart rate. I was still pointing my lasgun out into the empty desert. I then felt hands caressing my torso. Reaching up underneath my tunic, pushing past the webbing to go across my skin. Feeling as if I was in a hot bath, something that I hadn't had for over a year now.

"Now do you know what your friend Ross is enjoying?" I could feel the creatures hand move over me, with skin that felt smooth as marble. Warm, not the baking heat that I had felt for ages. Warmth that made me felt comfortable, like of someone living.

"No." Is all I could muster, the creature grabbed me and gently pulled me around to look at it…I couldn't see its face as it was right up against my cheek. But looking down it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

"Would you like to find out?" She wrapped her hand around my neck, hanging off me as she pulled her face away for me to lay eyes upon. Her eyes were pitch black, with dark purple flowing hair and with young, smooth unblemished skin. The strangest features were a dark purple horn coming out of the right side of her head, and bits of carapace like armour on her lower arms. She then moved closer to me, with her nose touching mine. With one of her hands she took my lasgun and threw it aside.

"Ye…n…n…" She held a single finger up to my mouth to stop my stuttering, she then followed it up by bringing her lips to mine. She tasted sweet, as she started to passionately envelope me. I pushed her away, but she didn't really mind. I wanted to do it again, every part of my being wanted her again. To feel her, to taste her, she was both intriguing and alluring.

"Now if you want to do that again and maybe a little more, all you need to do is cross that land and the true rulers of this galaxy will embrace you." She pointed out to no man's land, I turned and peered over there, I then turned back to her. She stared directly into my eyes as I did to the black beautiful orbs of hers.

…

What was I doing? Succumbing to this creature before me, tempting me with smut and attention in exchange for my friends and the light of the Emperor. My family back home of Arala, my squad, my regiment and the emperor would be judging me with fury. She continued her half lidded sultry look of seduction.

"Don't worry, your friends are getting attention too…Do you want some more convincing?" She then enveloped me again in another kiss, rougher than the last one. I returned it this time, enjoying every second of it.

They had my friends, the thought lingered in my mind before I fully realized, and we're all seeing it, we must all know of this creature or…creatures? I quickly pulled out of the embrace and stared down at her. My mates were in danger of being corrupted. But they weren't here…did they cross no mans land without me? Were they tempted? What about Sergeant, surely he couldn't fall to this? I needed to know.

"What's wrong…Don't you want this?" She gesturing to herself, her exquisite body putting all women I had seen to shame. I wanted her…but I wanted my friends to be safe first.

"N…n…no." I said, she stared at me looking concerned, but then went back to her usual charming smile. She then came forward again, intertwining her toned legs around mine and embracing me again.

"Maybe you should see a little more." She then began to throw aside the little clothing she had, leaving herself totally exposed to me. However I could not see them as she was up against me. I diverted my eyes looking up at the sky. She then pushed my head down to stare. From what I could see it was lovely. NO! I could not let her do this to me. I reached around her hour glass figure for my bayonet, taking it from its sheath.

"You didn't harm me the first time, what says you would now?" I fully removed the blade and pointed it towards her smooth belly. Infantry and basic training taught us how to use our bayonets as swords. She didn't react and instead came closer, pouring her beauty onto me. I continued aiming the blade but didn't just strike her down. I didn't resist as she turned around and laid herself against me. Feeling the other side of her body…She combed her hands through my hair, pushing my slouch hat off my head. Giving me the slightest view of her front naked form. Along with a very good feel of her backside, setting my arousal into overdrive.

I stabbed her.

With an upward slice into her belly, she stumbled back but didn't scream. I yanked the blade out of her and she fell to the ground. She then began laughing, but I ignored her, I then noticed there was no blood on my bayonet. But I had more things to worry about, I had to find my mates.

"SERGEANT? LANCE? JACKSON? VICTRUS? ANYONE?" I ran down one of the trench corridors, but stopped when a purple flash came towards me followed by an excruciating pain in my stomach. One of her hands was now a long crab claw, impaling me. As I began to cry out in pain, desperately swinging with my blade she gave me gave me another kiss. As soon she did all the pain just washed away. She then pushed me onto my back as I was left to bleed to death.

"Bruce? Bruce! GET THE FUCK UP PRIVATE DUWAL!" I shot up, I was still in the trench with sergeant standing over me. I felt my stomach, no wound, I was fine I looked around to see my mates, all of them still sleeping. I was leaning up against the wall of the trench, must have dozed off on duty.

"Thank the Emperor, now I'm not going to judge you private. But what happened in your sleep?" His voice was of concern, at first I wanted to tell him everything, but what were the others seeing? I began mumbling.

"What did you see?" I also realised I was still quite aroused, but I hopped from the way I was sitting he didn't see. I thought to myself how do I say this.

"There was this…woman. Said that if I went to the enemy I would be able to…root her? She never said that was the reward but she said Ross was enjoying something." Sergeant looked around at the others in grim thought, then over the trench. He the placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"We have an offensive in two days time. I need you all ready for it…I'm proud of you for making it this far." I did not sleep that night…I had so many unanswered questions.

AN

First time I ever wrote a scene like that, probably not going to the be last. See you all soon.