DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN WARHAMMER!
"AAAAAAGHHHHH!" The salamander cried out in agony as he was brought down by enemy blades.
His cries soon were replaced by bloody gurgles as the enemy chain blades tore into his armor and flesh tearing him apart piece by piece. There was nothing Potimias could but hope that he would die soon from his injuries and be spared from further torment. The Son of Vulkan was beyond him now.
He had served his purpose.
With his comrade now gone, this left Potimias on his own. It solely fell to him to complete their shared mission now. He gripped the hilt of his weapons tightly.
Currently the Raven guard dual wielded two power weapons. A power Axe taken from an Iron warrior and a power sword given to him by a fallen Iron Hand. Both were wielded in deadly tantrum, slicing down score of traitorous kin since the great betrayal.
Through his damaged hud,the fuzzy visual feed showed a chronometer slowly ticking down.
"Seven minutes." he said to himself softly.
Seven minutes was all he had to last and his mission would be complete. He steeled his resolve, exhaling slowly as he slid into a battle stance. Both weapons at the ready.
His current opposition was the rage driven berserkers of the World Eaters legion. He counted five of them. Two seemingly lost to their battle rage, fresh initiates possibly, whilst the other three looked to be of veteran status.
He could tell from the livery of their armor, even though it was caked in blood and gore. The two line marines withdrew their bloodied blades from the carcass of the fallen Salamander. Potimias dared a glance at the carnage.
The Salamander, Karok was his name, was more mince meat than man. His limbs were scattered about the ground, hsi chest cavity tore open, exposing mushed and blood innards. Worse yet was his head, which had been torn off from his torso and discarded a few feet away.
If he wasn't facing his killers right now, he would liken the kill to that in the likeliness of a ravenous beast.
The two, now finished playing with their kill, charged him. Days of battling his former kin, especially this variant, had granted him some expertise in slaying them. They were mindless, kill crazed beasts now. Lacking the finesse from when they were sane.
Easier to kill in his opinion than the traitors whose minds were still intact.
They ran towards him, howling, bloody spittle parting from their lips. He took his axe, and in one quick, fluid motion, released the weapon at high speeds. The weapon spun vertically at high speeds, looking much like a rotating disc. At the speed he threw it and the speed the leftmost berserker was going, there was no avoiding it.
As if he had the mind to do so anyway.
The weapon struck home, the blade burying itself deep in his chest cavity. The warrior dropped dead mid sprint, falling forward. The second was not deterred at all by the death of his brother, instead opting to continue his own mindless charge.
Potimias took his power sword into a two handed grip and awaited the challenger. The World Eater came forward, teeth of his blade revved, and swung at him. It was a vertical downswing, aimed to cleave him from clavicle to waist.
The Raven Guard Sergeant sidestepped the blow then swung his blade in a horizontal arc with all his might at the World Eater's midsection. Powered metal met ceramite, driven by genetically enhanced might, the weapon went through, slicing through flesh..and lastly bone, cutting the maddened warrior cleanly in two,
Even in two halves, the berserker howled and clawed towards him. Potimias took his balde, and stuck it into his skull, killing him instantly. He removed the blade and walked towards the corpse in which his axe resided.
He kicked it onto its back and pulled his weapon free, blood specks atomized by the power field. He eyed his chronometer. Only a minute and thirty seconds had passed. He needed to survive for five and half more minutes and then it would all be over.
Potimias pointed his blade at the remaining three.
"Not going to charge me mindlessly like your kin. Is there perhaps some honor left in you?" he spat.
The three remained unfazed. This surprised him. It was then the lead World Eater spoke, voice booming via his vox grille.
"No..hnnngh..honor..Assessing..hnnh worthiness of..killllll." he said, practically grunting the words out.
It seemed this one had retained some of his sanity and was trying to fight back whatever rage usually overtook them.
The speaker looked towards his companion to the left and nodded. The astartes beside him fidgeted and began breathing heavily as he stepped forward. He wielded two chain axes, the teeth still clogged with flesh and viscera.
The warrior approached him slowly. The two beginning to circle each other, watching for openings in the others stance. Potimias would not make the first move.
He would wait until the enemy struck and counter. That was his way. That was the way of the Raven.
He didn't have to wait long for the warrior did strike first. He swung one of his axes downwards. Potimias met this with an axe of his own. His muscles strained with effort, fighting back with strength of the blow.
The World Eater then swung his second weapon, aiming it as his midsection. Potimias brought his second weapon up, catching the teeth of the weapon between the blade. The teeth stopped, halted from reaping their bloody harvest.
He could practically see into the warrior's eyes through his broken visor lens. His eyes were bloodshot and maddened. Just like the other.
Potimias reared his head back and brought it forward in a vicious headbutt. The force of the blow had enough power to cause his faceplate to crack but it served its purpose. The World Eater was forced back by the blow, allowing Potimias to capitalize.
He swung both weapons, the axe in a vertical arc, slicing the World Eater's left arm off whilst the sword was thrust forward piercing into his chestplate. He felt the weapon pierce the World Eater's chest and he twisted the weapon within then withdrew it. His opponent fell to the ground beside him with a heavy thud, blood pooling from his helm's grille.
He had picked up some useful things from his days fighting them. Savagery in battle did have its merits. When battling these traitors one had to be sure to attempt to end the battle as quickly as possible.
The longer the fight went on, the stronger the World Eater's would get. As if the act of combat and bloodlust empowered them.
The chronometer count had decreased by around forty seconds. He was going to have to drag this out now. He had no other choice.
The Raven Guard pointed his blade at the right most World Eater in challenge. His traitorous kin stepped forward, ready to do battle.
A power maul smashed the warrior's head in as he took his first step forward. His helmet crumpled like paper, being smashed into his chest. The veteran World Eater stood above his companion's body with a bloody power maul in his hands.
"My...kill.." he growled as he stepped forward.
The World Eater wore the Centurion styled Mark III power armour, with various skulls adorning his waist. He pointed his bloody maul at him. The field was deactivated so that show was all brute force.
"Gonna...break..you..Flay your skull..New trophy.." rambled the World Eater, have lost in battle-rage.
Potimias gripped the hilts of his weapon tightly.
"Four minutes." he said to himself.
The World Eater charge forward, power field of his weapon activated. He swung the weapon downwards, trying to cave his head in like he did his companion. The Raven Guard brought both weapons up to bear, blocking the blow. His knees buckled for a moment, compensating for the force behind the swing.
This one was stronger than the others. Much stronger.
The World Eater with his free hand launched a vicious blow to his abdomen. The blow lifted him up slightly, knocking the wind from his lungs before another crashed down on his back, an elbow to the power pack. Potimias found himself face down on the ground.
He rolled quickly to the left, avoiding the downswing of the deadly power maul.
"Three minutes." he said as he took to his feet, regaining his footing.
The World Eater was already upon him, launching a flurry of blows. Potimias did his best, blocking and parrying each that came but with each the next that came was quicker..more powerful. He was being forced back by the legionnaire's strength alone.
He soon found his blade knocking from his hands. This action was followed by a swing of the powered maul at the weaponless arm. He felt the impact..the sensation of his arm shattering as the blow made contact, launching him away.
Potimias skidded across the ground, before struggling to stand. His armir's pain sensors were flaring. Hell he could feel it. His arm now hung limp at his side, a mangled mess.
"Two.." he muttered as the World Eater began the assault one more.
He bit back the pain in his arm as he used his axe to protect himself from the flurry of blows. The World Eater was in a frenzy now. His attacks sped up grew more powerful as did his insanity.
Another blow found his shoulder, smashing it completely. He yelled out in agony from the pain of the blow.
The World Eater's power maul came from under him. He heard the crackle of its power field as it approached, and stepped back slightly to avoid his head being reduced to naught. Regardless the weapon was still able to clip his helmet's chin and send him flying into the air.
His helmet shattered, shards of cermaite stabbing into his exposed cheeks. As he soared through the air, he could see the planet's suns but flying in its rays of light were a flock of ravens.
He landed hard on the ground in a crumpled heap. He could taste blood in his mouth. His body was broken.
This much he knew. He would not be able to rise again. As he looked to the skies he saw the flock of Ravens circling overhead, as if waiting for him.
Though his helm was gone along with the chronometer, he had been mentally keeping time. It was only seconds left now.
His ears picked up just the ones of his soon to be killer but more. Running towards them.
More World Eaters.
He smiled, showing bloodstained teeth.
Ten.
The Veteran World Eater approached him slowly, huffing loudly as he did so.
Nine.
The sounds of power armored boots and frenzied yells grew louder as the World Eater charge came.
Eight.
His primary heart failed, now bursting with blood. His secondary began to pump to compensate for the loss of the main organ.
Seven.
The Ravens seemed to be getting closer to him. As if they knew his time was coming.
Six
He wasn't supposed to live anyway. This was a plan where no one would survive. A suicidal mission.
Five.
He and his companion were the last of their number. The others slain in battle or taken by the enemy. The two had grown tired of living.
Four.
They had concocted a plan. Both would strap melta bombs to themselves and lure a large horde of World Eaters to them. They would set the timers and when they blew, the World Eaters would be on them and be caught in the explosion.
Three.
They would take down scores of the enemy along with them. Their final act of defiance towards this accursed place.
Two.
The World Eater was above him now, maul raised above his head in a two handed grip. The killing blow was near. The other's of Angron's legion were here now.
One.
His last sight was of a single Raven, breaking away from the flock and descending towards him. He reached out to it as it came. Just as they touched, everything was consumed in a white light, the melta vaporizing everything in the immediate radius.
He was free now. Free to soar the skies alongside his fellow Ravens.
I will be posting a new chapter each week, generally towards the end of the week so around friday or saturday. Progress has been made on the longer story and that will be being released soon. Remember to fave, follownand review and see you all next week!