Alexander V: thank you for those words of praise. and yes, I'm aware that my chapters tend to be short. unfortunately I just don't have the talent to write long chapters without rambling. =(...but I'm glad that you think highly of this fic.

The Echoes of Pain

The desert fell behind Hayreddin as he pushed his camel as fast as it would go. All of his companions had wanted to come with him, but he had insisted otherwise. Only Isan and Ravenna refused to be dissuaded. The two them had barely managed to keep up with him, and were exhausted. Hayreddin felt bad about that, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was happening.

It was night when Nuba finally appeared over the horizon. Though it could simply be his imagination, Hayreddin thought that the town looked far darker than normal accept for the area where the market square was. His unease deepened and he spurred his camel onwards.

When they arrived, Hayreddin found that the gates were shut but unguarded. Hayreddin tried calling for the guards but no one answered. He turned to Ravenna and Isan who both looked puzzled. Hayreddin turned back to the gates and gave it a push. To his surprise, it swung open slightly. Extremely worried now, Hayreddin walked through, followed by Ravenna and Isan.

The main street was completely deserted, the houses built along it all had their doors shut and no light shone from the windows. As Hayreddin, Ravenna and Isan cautiously made their way down the street; they could sense that they were being watched. Glancing at each other, Hayreddin and Ravenna both drew their swords. They continued down the street cautiously, glancing over their shoulders from time to time. As they reached near the end of it, a door swung open on one of the houses and Hayreddin's sharp eyes made out the shape of a fat man.

"Hayreddin?" the whisper came, filled with fear.

Hayreddin recognised the voice at once. "Elder Razeed?"

The fat wine merchant waddled out of his house towards them. The man was sweating with fear and an unpleasant smell wafted off him.

"Elder, what's going on?" asked Hayreddin urgently. "Why is the town so quiet, where are the guards?"

"There was a pirate attack three days ago," answered Razeed, looking over his shoulder fearfully.

"What?" growled Ravenna. "How...?"

"Listen!" hissed Razeed. "That's not the worst of it: Beduin's gone mad! People started listening to him since the attack and they've taken people hostage at the market square!"

Fear clenched Hayreddin's heart. "Not..."

"Yes, he's got your parents too," said Razeed urgently. "That's why there are no guards about. Captain Rizal's been trying to..."

Hayreddin didn't bother to listen to the rest. He turned and sprinted as fast as he could towards the market square, easily leaving Ravenna and Isan behind. He could not wait for them; not now.

Hayreddin pushed himself to go faster.

XI XI XI

They were all huddled together, frightened. Despite the great bonfire lit in the centre of the market square, they were all shivering from both the cold of night and fear. Beduin could smell it, sweet and intoxicating. It was good, worthy offerings to appease the spirits.

His followers had erected a barricade that surrounded the market square and they manned it, most of them armed with makeshift weapons. Beyond the barricades were the guards of Nuba led by the daemon's lapdog Rizal. A determined push was all the guards needed to overwhelm the defenders, but Beduin had threatened to kill the hostages if they did, resulting in the current standoff.

Fools, thought Beduin. These people are already dead and damned because of the daemon. I will help them ascend into the grace of the spirits.

Among his hostages, he noted with delight, were the sinners who had taken in the daemon and raised it as their son. Beduin spat on the ground, disgusted at the thought. They had one last chance to die purified of their sins or die in eternal damnation.

Beduin nodded. The time had come.

"The taint of the daemon has rooted itself deeply within the town and only the ritual offering of blood can cleanse it," he intoned.

Reaching into his robes, the spirit-speaker drew out the ceremonial dagger which he would use to make the offering.

"By the spirits of the Kornah, the Zentach, the Norgai and the Salonesh, I, Beduin, offer these souls to cleanse us of the daemon's corruption. Great spirits who watch over all, please absolve us of our sins and grant us your favour."

His eyes turned to Barbar. "Bring him."

His followers dragged Babar forward, ignoring Ani's fearful and horrified cries. Beyond the barricades, Captain Rizal had realised what was going on and was mustering his men in preparation to break through the barricades. It didn't matter, by the time they did, it would all be over.

"So Babar, it's come to this at last," said Beduin quietly. "I was worried that this day would come ever since you and your wife took in that daemon."

"He is no daemon," snarled Babar, struggling against his captors.

"The corruption runs deepest in both of you, of course," continued Beduin as though Babar had not spoken. "But even then, you are still not beyond the spirits' mercy, Babar. Renounce the daemon, admit to your mistake, and you will die with your soul clean and blessed."

Babar spat at Beduin. "Choke yourself on camel-shit, you bastard."

One of his followers struck Babar, but Beduin raised a hand to stop him from going further. "Babar, this is your afterlife at stake. This is your last chance; renounce the daemon and save your soul or die in eternal damnation."

Babar gave Beduin such a cold glare that the spirit-speaker trembled slightly at it.

"Never," answered Babar, smiling coldly at Beduin. "He is my son. I am proud that I can say that."

Babar spat at Beduin again. "The only daemon I see here is you. If I'm going to be eternally damned for all eternity; then know this Beduin; I will be waiting for you on the other side. I will make you suffer."

Beduin bared his teeth. "So be it."

The ceremonial dagger flashed in the firelight.

Babar slumped and his captors let him go so that he fell face first to the ground, his throat slashed and gushing a torrent of blood that painted the ground red. Ani screamed in grief as she cursed and ranted at Beduin.

The spirit-speaker turned to his men. "Bring me another one."

He pointed his dagger at Ani. "Bring her last. So we started with the father, we shall finish with the mother."

Captain Rizal and his men were fighting a fierce battle to break through the barricades, but Beduin's followers fought with all the zeal of fanatics and kept them at bay; so the bloody ceremony continued uninterrupted.

Finally, Beduin's followers dragged Ani before him. The spirit-speaker wanted to offer her the same option he offered Babar, but the look of hatred on her face told him it was futile. Beduin nodded and raised his dagger.

An inhuman cry stayed his hand. Beduin looked over in the direction of the noise and both hatred and fear rose in his heart.

The daemon had arrived.

XI XI XI

He was too late.

Even from the distance, Hayreddin's sharp eyes could make out the bodies that lay around the bonfire. Against his will, his eyes were drawn to the familiar shape of his father's body. A cry wrenched itself from his lips, a great cry of grief that stilled everyone who heard it.

Even the battle at the barricades had ground to a halt as all turned to stare at him.

It was then that Hayreddin saw his mother was still alive, held in a kneeling position before Beduin. Even from the distance, Hayreddin could see her lips shape his name. Fear unlike any other he had known before seized his heart in a terrible grip as he saw Beduin turn towards his mother, the old man's face full of cold determination as he raised his dagger.

"No, stop!" screamed Hayreddin, but to no avail.

Beduin plunged the dagger into Ani's chest. She fell to the ground almost gracefully, the way a leaf would float through the wind before reaching the ground.

A red haze fell over Hayreddin's vision.

The roar of rage and grief that tore itself from his heart burned his throat as he charged forward with inhuman speed. Captain Rizal and his men scattered in terror, but Hayreddin paid them no mind. His world had narrowed down to one man: Beduin. He dimly registered the spirit-speaker's followers trying to kill him, but his sword cut them down in a spray of crimson. Their pathetic barricade shattered beneath his vicious blows. More of Beduin's followers tried to kill him but he cut them all down like wheat without even looking at them. The ground became slick with their blood. Within moments, he found himself standing before Beduin.

The old spirit-speaker did not even try to run. He faced Hayreddin, trembling with fear but defiant to the end.

"You see," he hissed. "You're a daemon...inhuman...an affront to the spirits..."

"Burn with your spirits, murderer!" roared Hayreddin, his voice full hate and he brought his sword down on Beduin, putting all his hatred, rage and grief behind the blow, cutting the old man cleanly in half from head to groin. The old spirit-speaker fell in two halves with a spray of blood that drenched Hayreddin.

With Beduin dead, his followers tried to flee. But Hayreddin would have none of it and he went after them, cutting them as they ran, even the ones who tried pleading for mercy were cut down where they stood. None of them even made it past the barricades. The last of them was bifurcated as he tried to climb over it.

Just like that, everything fell silent.

Captain Rizal and the guards stared in mute horror, not daring to move as Hayreddin walked unsteadily over to Ani and knelt by her body. To his shock, she was still alive.

Cradling her in his arms, Hayreddin turned to the guards. "She's still alive! Get a healer, bring someone here! Hurry!"

As though in a daze, Captain Rizal turned to two of his men and gave the order and they hurried away quickly.

Hayreddin turned back to his mother and saw that it was already too late. The dagger embedded in her chest had likely pierced her heart and her airways. That she was still alive at all was a miracle in itself.

"Um...Um...hold on, please," pleaded Hayreddin as tears streamed down his cheeks. "I'll save you...I'll save you, I promise."

Hayreddin wanted to do something, anything that could help her, but he could think of nothing. Desperate, he turned to the guards again.

"Help me!" he screamed before he broke down into sobs. "Please...help me..."

He didn't see Isan and Ravenna arrive, looking horrified at the bloody scene before them. All he saw was Ani, slowly dying right before his eyes.

"No...no..."sobbed Hayreddin.

Ani's trembling finger slowly reached up and touched his cheek. Hayreddin looked into his mother's eyes as she struggled to speak, blood staining her lips red. Hayreddin bent down closer to her, leaning his face into her touch.

"...my...my..." struggled Ani, before taking a shuddering breath. She looked up at Hayreddin's face and managed a weak smile.

"...my...angel..." whispered Ani. Her eyes glazed over and her hand fell away from his cheek. Her entire body suddenly slumped with a sigh.

"Um?" whispered Hayreddin, trembling. "Um? No...no..."

Hayreddin embraced Ani to his chest as his entire body shook with sobs. Finally, unable to hold back his pain and sorrow any longer, Hayreddin threw back his head to the night sky and howled. The howl echoed throughout Nuba, inflicting a small measure of Hayreddin's pain in all who heard it.

Captain Rizal and his men, along with Isan and Ravenna all fell to their knees as they tried to block their ears.

And still Hayreddin continued to howl, his throat burning. He continued until his voice broke and he slumped forward onto his mother's corpse, weeping silently. He stayed like that for a long time, until Isan and Ravenna slowly went to him.

The echoes of Hayreddin's howl of pain continued into the night, burning itself into the memory of all who had heard it.

With that, I'll bring down the curtains on Hayreddin's story for now. To be honest, by necessity, his story got a little emotional and morbid even for me. But it all serves a higher purpose I assure you.

From the next chapter onwards, we'll be returning to Thorondor's exploits.

Now, as though killing off Babar and Ani wasn't enough, I've decided to be even more of a bastard and leave you guys a hint and a teaser for the next chapter.

The hint:

A certain Space Marine from the first three Horus Heresy novels will be making a cameo appearance.

And here's the teaser:

Thorondor nodded and gestured to the battle below. "Then watch closely, sergeant. See for yourself if the Vlka Fenryka need any help when Leman Russ stands with them."