Extremus Fors Chapter 22
Shambling horrors closed in, their steps lurching and ponderous. They moved with a drunken gait, every step overemphasised, yet closing all too fast. Skeletal hands bore obsidian swords and maces, flails and curved claws in mocking parody of Astartes' weapons. In their eyes the fires of damnation burned, fuelled by the souls of their victims, and haloes of flame painted eerie light across the ruins, dancing shadows promising an eternity of suffering beyond death. They were doom incarnate, born from the raving insanity of a fevered madman, they were the denizens of realms that angels feared to tread.
Novak saw them closing and knew the Storm Heralds would not survive. These abominations could take the strongest blows without flinching and their weapons cleaved through armour with no effort at all. To take a single hit from those midnight blades would be worse than death, to fall into their clutches would mean the destruction of the soul. Yet he did not flinch, Novak was a Space Marine, his courage was unbreakable and his resolve iron. If he was to die in battle then he would do so with his face to the enemy, sword in hand and defiant to the last.
He lifted his blade and half-shield in readiness to fight, but then another intervened. A screeching roar erupted as Honourable Ajax let rip with his assault cannon, hosing the incoming nightmares with rounds. A tongue of fire a metre long erupted, hammering away with constant thunder as brass shell casing pattered upon the floor like rainwater. The torrent of shots burst across the closing foe, cracking warped Ceramite and chipping at exposed skulls. None of them fell, but the kinetic force of the hits drove them back a step, halting their advance.
"WITHDRAW!" Ajax roared as his cannon screamed.
"Flee?!" Cortha gasped, "We do not retreat in the face of the enemy!"
"DON'T ARGUE YOU IMBECILE!" the Dreadnought bellowed, "BREAKOUT NOW!"
Novak saw the Dreadnought was right, to fight and die here would be pointless. They would achieve nothing, and in doing so the mission would fail. If they could affect a breakout maybe they could turn the tide, find a way to fight back, or disengage effectively. Retreat was anathema to Astartes but the alternative was tantamount to admitting defeat: that no Space Marine could ever do.
"Follow me!" he yelled as he sprinted back the way they had come.
Five paces away Micah was sitting up in the servitor mule, straining to see what was going on. "What's happening?!"
"Shut up and hold tight!" Novak yelled as he threw an arm over the mule and hoisted it aloft, Pariah and all.
The awkward weight pulled but his strength was Transhuman and he compensated for the burden. Swift he ran, swifter than the mule could dream, seeking a way to evade the foe. The others were a step behind, Ajax bringing up the rear. The Dreadnought stomped along, legs pumping forward but his torso reversed on its gimbal so he could fire backwards. The hammering of his cannon told Novak that they hadn't lost the foe, and he doubted Ajax had put down a single one.
A harsh whine erupted from the cannon as Ajax exhausted his magazines, leaving a dry clinking cough. "I'M EMPTY," he barked.
"Couldn't have sported a plasma cannon," Novak muttered sullenly as his legs pounded the dirt., "Any other ideas, how did you beat them last time?!"
"WITH A TEN-TO-ONE SUPERIORITY OF NUMBERS!"
"Astartes retreating," Cortha spat as they sprinted for the perimeter wall, "It is an offence to our traditions!"
"You want some pithy quotes from the Codex, go find Toran," Novak cried, "I'm making this crap up as I go along!"
Novak's feet pounded the frozen ground as he ran, passing through the ruins at top speed. He hefted the awkward mass of the mule under one arm, Micah clinging on for dear life, too stunned to protest. Thunderous steps and broiling hisses told the fiends were in pursuit, yet their pace did not match his own. Even laden with the Servitor-mule Novak was opening the range, and he dared to think they would get away, but he was cruelled disappointed.
As they cleared the outer buildings they found the broken wall held against them. Standing among piled dead were more Undying, eight of them, blocking the way out. Grinning skulls proclaimed they had been expecting the Space Marines and glimmering weapons were held in eager grips. Whether by vox or more esoteric means the travesties had coordinated an ambush. The Storm Heralds were caught in a vice, and about to be crushed. They lurched forwards, closing the range slowly but inexorably.
"Abaddon's Balls! What are those?!" Micah yelled as he laid eyes on the foe.
Novak ignored him, "Arvael, any other way out?"
"None," came the grim pronouncement.
"We won't get past them before the rest catch up," Geryon growled.
"THEN WE DIE," Ajax uttered coldly.
"Not yet," Novak retorted, "Not while we have one card left to play."
"Oh no," Arvael winced, "Not that."
"I was really hoping to avoid this," Novak hissed as his thumb hit the rune on the Null-limiter wand.
"Uuuurgh!" Arvael let slip as a faint rush passed over them. Novak felt it as a cold shiver down his spine, dampening of colour and a muffled sensation in the ear. The world seemed somehow less bright, bereft of glory, but as unsettling as it was to him the effect on the psychic realm was catastrophic. The Undying reeled as if blasted by a tornado, their feet staggering backwards and arms struggling to hold onto their weapons. The haloes framing their heads gutted, though they did not die they were greatly reduced, less bright and vital, like bonfires doused by water.
"Take that scum!" Novak yelled in relief.
"They're not dropping," Geryon hissed as he lifted his Photonic axe.
"It's slowing them down," Novak hissed, "It'll do."
"He's nothing," Arvael moaned, "I'm blind..."
"Pull yourself together Marine," Cortha snapped, "You still have the strength of your arm. Fight like the rest of us!"
Novak cried, "He's right, take them!" He dropped the mule to the ground and leapt to engage. His sword led the way and steered for the nearest Undying, a lurching brute with a flanged mace for a weapon. The horror hissed as he closed, trying to swing its weapon to bear but slower than ever. Novak spun past the lazy blow and stuck for the hearts, stabbing his weapon into the chest. Flames and molten ooze poured around the tip, but he wrenched his blade sideways, cleaving a deep furrow. He skipped back before a return blow could land and saw the abomination was wounded, but not defeated.
It came about to face him but this time it was not alone. Another came at him from the side, trying to ram a spiked spear into his ribcage. Novak only avoided the blow with a frantic pivot, that took him perilously close to the range of the first. That mace head sailed past his helm, leaving trailing flames in its wake. Had the Undying been moving at full pelt he would have died.
As it was Novak was forced to duck another thrust from the spear, spinning left to break free. Both travesties came after him, weapons thrusting and swishing. Novak's feet danced as fast as they had ever moved, dodging and weaving around blows. His enemies were impaired but had the advantage of numbers and were relentless. His sword darted and thrust, chipping at armour, but landing no telling blows. His strength was meaningless in this fight, his skill rendered moot. He could not wear this enemy down with a thousand cuts, could not distract them with taunts or outsmart them. Only a killing blow would have any effect, but even limping in the null aura they would not let fall so easily.
Novak saw conventional bladework was only delaying the inevitable and knew he had to think radically. He reached for his belt with his remaining fingers, daring to try the riskiest of moves. He grabbed an object and surged forward, knocking aside the spear with the flat of his sword and narrowly dodging the mace. He slammed his bulk forward and rammed his fist into the spear-holder skeletal face, punching something into its flaming jaws before shoving past.
He broke free and spun about, seeing the surprised monster reach for its mouth. No frag grenade, Novak had doubted it would have the slightest effect, but instead a full magazine of Bolt pistol rounds. Soaked in the fires of the Undying mass-reactives cooked off, propellant igniting and warheads detonating. The Undying took the equivalent of thirty bolt rounds to the face, its head coming apart in a spray of charred bone, leaving a smoking stump for a neck as it toppled over. The other staggered in the blast and Novak's arm blurred, ramming his sword into its skull, demolishing it too.
Two travesties were down and he spun about to see the rest fighting. Ajax was beset by a pair of Undying, beating upon his flanks with heavy maces. His fist caught one about the waist and he squeezed hard, crushing it to scrap, but the other fought on. Three more attacked the rest, meeting them hand to hand. Geryon's photonic axe left smears of light as he hacked and tore at a flail-wielding creature, but Arvael's inert morningstar merely clanged off a pauldron. Cortha however seemed to be having more success, his Crozius battered an Undying into the dirt, every touch freezing it for a second. It was a crude display but it was working, reducing the Undying piece by piece.
Novak tensed to intervene but then a rush of horror filled him. His count was one short, for the last Undying was closing on Micah. The Undying dragged its feet across the dirt with a drunken lurch but its path was unerring and over its wrists twin blades hung in mockery of lightning claws. The Pariah clung to the servitor-mule in terror, his eyes wide and face flushing with panic. These things had fought Space Marines to a standstill, a mere human could do nothing but die against them.
"What do I do?!" Micah cried, "What do I do?!"
"Hold on! Novak yelled as he sprang to intervene.
He wasn't going to make it; he could tell that with a glance. The distance was too great and time too short. The Undying would kill Micah, and then with no Null-aura the rest would flare back into full power. Novak strained every sinew to the limit, time slowing to glacial speed in his eyes as he stretched to get there first and twin heartbeats slowed into the booming crash of waves upon a shore in his ears. He saw the Undying reach Micah and pull back for the fatal blow, saw the Pariah fling his arms up in futile attempt to hide his face, saw the claws begin their descent. Then he saw Geryon twist about and fire a small gun at the fiend.
A tiny dart crossed the distance a heartbeat, so small and fragile and yet it struck the abomination in the side of the skull and the merest touch struck like a wrecking ball. Null-Iron, Novak realised, concentrated ingots of iron molecules sifted from Pariah blood. Anathema to all things born of the Warp, the Pariah effect distilled and concentrated. Utterly toxic to the Undying and the filth crashed to the dirt as its fire vanished into nothingness.
Novak screeched to a halt and yelled, "Hit them again!"
"For the Red Sands of Mars!" Geryon shouted as he spun on his heel, tiny gun discharging.
One, two, three Undying he struck, sending them to the dirt with their fires quenched and bodies paralysed. The effect was immediate and total. In moments the enemy was put down, leaving the Storm Heralds amid smoking corpses, wondering at the sudden reversal. Micah leaned over the side of the mule and started vomiting loudly as the rest took stock. Novak's hearts hammered in his chest and his limbs shook with how close they come to defeat, and he knew it was only by the smallest of margins they had survived.
"We did it," Arvael gasped.
"Barely," Novak retorted.
"Let us give thanks to the Emperor," Cortha declared.
"DON'T PAT YOURSELVES ON THE BACK YET," Ajax spat, "THE FIRST LOT HAVE CAUGHT UP, AND MORE ARE ON THE WAY."
Novak spun about saw more Undying closing, with broiling hisses announcing yet more to come. "How many are they?!"
"Too many," Geryon spat, "I've only got eight shots left."
"Make them count," Novak growled.
"No! Let me handle it," Arvael cried.
"You can't do a thing to them!"
"Give me back my power and I can stop them!"
Novak swore to himself but knew another fight would be the end. Too close had been the last fight, but this would be worse. Novak gritted his teeth as he jabbed the rune again, activating the limiter. Sound and colour rushed back into the world and the approaching Undying flared with revived power, but so too did Arvael. The Librarian lifted his hands over his head, sending his thoughts not at the enemy but high above, reaching upwards with all his power. Then he heaved downwards.
Novak heard a terrible cracking noise ring throughout the cavern and his head tilted up as he breathed, "Tell me you didn't..." He didn't get to finish, for a massive section of the glacier above broke away, tumbling down into the hollow cavern. A hunk of ice as big as a Warlord Titan slammed into the dirt, squashing buildings flat and laminating Undying into the ground.
Novak staggered as the earth trembled, but that was only the start. The integrity of the roof had been shattered and with the sound of worlds ending it started to collapse. Ice rained down, small bits and chunks large enough to crush a Land Raider. Novak felt sharp splinters pinging off his helm and shouted, "Run!" The Space Marines turned and sprinted, while behind icy boulders slammed down into the settlement. They fell upon homes and clearings, they fell upon the Forgefane, they fell on Undying and bleeding Technobarbarians alike. They would not stop until the whole cavern was nothing but piled ice, erasing any trace of the camp.
"Are you trying to get us killed?!" Geryon yelled as the Storm Heralds ran to escape the wave of destruction.
"Worked didn't it?" Arvael retorted.
"Oh, just let me die," Micah groaned from the jostling mule.
"YOU DON'T GET TO DIE TILL I ORDER YOU TO DIE!" Ajax barked.
Novak led them from the cavern and dashed into a dark tunnel mouth. Behind they left a scene of ruin, as falling ice wiped clean the world. He didn't understand what they had just fought, he didn't know how such horrors could exist. All he could do was trust they would not see such nightmares again, but deep in his hearts he knew the universe was not so kind. He knew this was only the start of the horror to come.
