Tales of the Amber Viper Chapter 380
All was bedlam and confusion. The Amber Vipers fought tooth and nail to hold the Space Wolves at bay. Lashing claws and inhuman strength battered at their plate, leaving deep impressions in shining heraldry. They fought back with Transhuman skill, and may have won through, were it not for Skoll himself. The Nighthowler laid about with deadly prowess, ending anything within reach. Against his wroth none could stand, so they made a swift tactical withdrawal.
Kazao was fighting in the midst of the carnage. He battered at bestial forms, broke heads and snapped necks. Stronger than an average Astartes, his aberration brought blessings as well as curses. His hands were deadly weapons in their own right, but even he could not defy Skoll. So he fell back, making for the nearest capillary opening.
"Where's the damned Cerberii?!" Shrios snarled as he swept his chainsword about.
"Falling back like the rest of us," Larus barked from the other side as he stabbed and thrust.
"We need their weapons!" Kazao spat as he drove his fist through a snouted face.
"We need a hell of a lot more than that!" Shrios cursed, "This is a disaster!"
The press of the melee was intense and Kazao could barely make his withdrawal. Through the closing bodies he caught glimpses of amber, Brothers falling back as best they may. Squad cohesion had broken, an almost unthinkable occurrence for Space Marines, and everyone was reduced to fighting alongside whoever they found themselves beside. Order had shattered, all was calamity.
Kazao thought he saw a hint of black, the Cerberii carrying their charge out of danger. If they could link up they could stand with the deadliest of Amber Vipers. It was not to be. The press of bestial forms grew tighter and Kazao could make no headway. So he punched and chopped, bludgeoning foes to death with his fists.
Ten paces from the opening he saw a flash of red. Volkite-fields at play, deflagrating enemies with sweeps of red light. It was the Brother-Exemplar Hasak, fighting on despite being surrounded. He'd become separated from his master in the tempest of battle, left to fight alone and unaided. His Burst-lance was in constant motion, culling many, but even he could not last for long.
"Hasak's in trouble!" Kazao spat.
"Nothing we can do to help him," Shrios growled.
"Frak that, I'm going back for him!"
"You can't!"
But Larus barked, "Give me room, I'll cover you!"
Larus stepped back, sheathing his knives. The press of foes bore down in his absence, threatening to overwhelm Kazao, but he held them back with raw strength. Two seconds was all Larus needed to draw his relic bolter, Chrysoar, a trophy taken in battle. He swept it up in both hands and squeezed the trigger. Muzzle discharge battered Kazao's autosenses, flaring light an inch from his helm blackening his vision. The world became a vista of strobing images, as his helm's sight cut in and out. Rounds flying, bodies falling, blood fountaining high, Larus standing firm as he emptied his magazine in one sweep.
The firing pin clunked empty and vision returned. Bodies lay in a wide circle, granting a moment of respite. All of them were missing heads, stumpy necks gushing vitae. Larus had fired thirty rounds, the totality of his magazine and thirty bodies lay on the floor, all missing heads. He'd been firing on full auto, sweeping randomly, and yet every single discharge had produced a headshot. Accuracy unheard of even among Astartes.
Kazao had no time to marvel at Larus' feat of marksmanship, he waved to Hasak and called, "This way!"
"I come," Hasak intoned as he chopped a foe in half and bounded over.
The press of enemies regrouped in moments but in the clearing the Amber Vipers were able to make for the narrow opening. Larus went first, hastily swopping out magazines. Shrios followed, his white armour checkered with blood. Hasak had to duck, his frame engorged by Aberration and barely fitting into the hole. That left Kazao and he reached to his belt and grabbed twin grenades as he entered. Kazao made use of a grenade launcher most days, but as he ran his thumbs flicked the catches manually and then he flung his arms wide and shoved the explosives into the meat of the wall.
Five seconds till detonation, and no way out save forward. He put his head down and sprinted after Hasak's retreating form. Four seconds, the howling of rabid foes on his heels. Three seconds, the feeling of hot breath on the back of his neck as the hunters closed in. Two seconds and no light ahead to be seen. One second, and the chill terror of knowing that they couldn't have cleared the blast range.
Thunder and light erupted behind Kazao and a blast wave slammed into his ass. He was flung forward, catapulted into Hasak's back. The pair tumbled forward, bursting out of the narrow passage into a larger chamber, toppling head over heels as they sprawled in the mire of ooze covering the floor. Kazao's head felt like grots were using it as a wardrum, his chest ached as something shifted inside and his ears rang loud. But none of that compared to the joyful knowledge he'd survived.
He rolled over, armour caked in filth and saw Shrios staring at the collapsed tunnel, "No going back that way."
"I'm hale by the way," Kazao spat as he struggled to his feet.
Larus flicked dirt off his bolter as he remarked, "No vox-signal, we're on our own."
Kazao saw Hasak laying in the muck. He'd taken more wounds than anyone realised and was bleeding profusely. Kazao knelt and rolled him over, wincing at the gaping holes in his breastplate. Hasak was an Aberrant, his size and strength remarkable, but he wasn't invincible. This could well prove fatal.
"Shrios!" Kazao called.
"I'm busy," the Apothecary sneered as he scoured the walls.
"He needs you."
"The idiot will be fine."
But Larus spat, "You're an apothecary, do your damned duty!"
Shrios' pulled his helm free and gave them a dirty look, but turned to Hasak and began ministering to the wounds. Needles probes went into oozing gashes and pulled out bits of claw and fur, as sterilising sprays cleansed infection. Coagulant foams were applied and injuries closed, all performed with brisk efficiency.
Kazao let the Apothecary work as he said, "So what now?"
Larus gestured his muzzle into the dark, "There are more openings, we must move out and regroup with the rest."
"And then what, how do we beat Skoll?"
"One problem at a time," Larus sighed.
Shrios stood up and smacked his hands together, "The idiot will live, give him five minutes to recover and we can move."
"Don't call him that," Kazao muttered.
"What, he is," Shrios snorted, "Gene-flaws have left him barely able to string two words together."
"You'd know all about that," Kazao sneered.
"You have something to say?" Shrios growled.
"You implanted him with defective gene-seed, just like me."
"Truly, you want to cast blame?!"
Larus butted in, "This is no time to be bickering!"
"No, let's have this out," Shrios snapped, "We're alone, I would love to hear this."
Kazao glared at him, "You made me the way I am."
But Shrios snorted, "You think I had a choice?! I told Coluber the flaws were hiding in the gene-seed, he ordered me to proceed anyway."
Kazao retorted, "Blame Coluber all you want, but you performed the implantations."
Shrios however countered, "I've watched that fool drag us into the mud for decades. Always bleating about glories to come, always making us eat dung today. Look at this debacle we're in. We were out, free and clear, and he drags us back into the meatgrinder. Coluber's head is so swollen he can't see past his own nose."
Kazao spat back, "Your plan to get the Blood Talons to attack him backfired."
Shrios' face darkened, "Don't cheek me, you were a mistake. Soon to be wiped out."
"What's that mean?" Kazao puzzled.
Shrios grinned, "Don't tell me you haven't figured it out? The Primaris tech will make Aberrants a thing of the past. I've glanced at the data-files and I know it will erase flaws like you. The Primaris paradigm will end our need to let twisted freaks survive. The Aberrants will no longer be needed, and you know what that means.
"You think they'll stop recruiting us?" Kazao blinked.
"How blind," Shrios sniffed, "As soon as the Amber Vipers are free of our reliance on flawed tech Coluber will have all Aberrants purged."
"He wouldn't!" Kazao gasped.
"He would, especially when he finds out about your craving for Astartes blood," Shrios grinned, "That why you have to help me kill Coluber."
A sound behind, a soft shuffle and all eyes drifted to where Hasak stood. The Brother-Exemplar was swaying badly but still he pointed his Burst-lance at them and hissed, "Speak treachery."
"Put that down," Shrios scoffed, "You're in no state to fight."
"Heretics die," Hasak slurred.
Kazao saw Shrios' hand lift his chainsword but grabbed his wrist, "You can't kill him!"
"He's heard too much," Shrios hissed, "Saves me having to do it later."
"I won't let you!"
"Sympathy between Aberrants, how pathetic," Shrios sneered, "We should have euthanised you the second you began to deform. I built this Chapter with my own two hands and I've had enough of watching others claim my laurels. Once I eliminate Coluber I'll see to it all you freaks are terminated. The Amber Vipers will no longer be dragged into pointless wars, I will no longer be overlooked and forgotten. I'll make Ferrac and Reddam kneel before me, and all will see I am the true architect of the Amber Vipers!"
A blast of thunder raked Kazao's ears as Shrios' head came apart. One second the Apothecary was ranting on, the next his skull disappeared, blown to bits by a mass-reactive round. The body swayed for a second, then collapsed, dead before he hit the ground. Larus lowered Chrysoar and spat, "That's enough out of you."
"Larus?!" Kazao gasped in shock, "You killed Shrios?!"
"He deserved it," Larus sniffed, "Bitter old fool, stewing in bile. He was dragging us all down, thinking he was some kind of lord. Giving out orders like we were his servants and sending us to do his dirty work. He outlived his usefulness long ago."
Kazao could scarce believe what he was hearing. Larus had executed the Apothecary in cold blood. It was shockingly callous and brutal, and yet Kazao found he could not mourn the result. Shrios had become bitter and twisted, resentful of his position and jealous. Petty and snide as long as Kazao had known him, made worse over passing decades. The thought of life without the wretch was akin to a great burden lifted from Kazao's shoulders. Shrios hadn't given Kazao anything save grief for long years and the sight of the headless corpse brought no tears to his eye.
"Heretic dead?" Hasak asked warily.
"That's right," Larus agreed, "Shrios was a Heretic, we executed him for plotting treachery."
"Tell Coluber," Hasak proclaimed.
"No, no, no. Coluber and Shrios were old friends, it will sadden your master to hear he's dead. To find out he was a Heretic would break his hearts. You wouldn't want to hurt your master, would you? Better keep that part quiet."
Hasak sounded unsure, "Don't tell?"
Kazao hastily agreed, "We'll tell everyone the Space Wolves killed him. Better to die in honourable combat than be executed for treason. Everyone will remember Shrios as a hero, even Coluber. The truth will only bring division and pain."
Hasak paused then said, "Silence good."
The Brother-Exemplar turned from the body and limped off, looking for a way out. Larus and Kazao lingered, looking at the cooling corpse of their conspirator. Kazao wasn't sad he was dead but still whispered, "At least we can give up on killing Coluber."
"Anything but," Larus chided, "We still need to break that fool's stranglehold on our future. But we can afford to wait. It was Shrios' blundering that pushed us into rash action. His loose tongue nearly blew our cover. We will wait till the Chapter returns to Sanctus, bide our time and find the perfect moment to strike. The Amber Vipers will be free, by Chrysoar I swear it."
Larus took off, heading after the departing Brother-Exemplar. Kazao was left with the corpse and took one last moment to look Shrios over. He knelt and pulled a Fang-knife from the body, taking the gas-compression dagger in the Rite of the Dead. Shrios had long since forfeited respect, but for the Marine he once was, Kazao would grant him this final dignity. Perhaps with sufficient praise and acknowledgement the apothecary wouldn't have earned this fate, but dreams of what could have been were meaningless. There was still a battle to fight and a war to win. So Kazao moved off, leaving Shrios to rot.
