Locum Ignotum Chapter 24

The battle paused for an instant as the Soul-Grinder closed, roaring its hatred in an unearthly thunder. It was hideous to look upon, an abomination in form and nature. It shook the earth with its tread and made lesser Daemons shrink back in fear, not one of them willing to challenge the Daemon Prince bound within its shell.

The Soul-Grinder walked on four crab-like legs, made of gears and pistons but its upper body was fleshy and taut with muscle. It had two arms, purple in hue and its hands were tipped with long black claws. From its rear grew another appendage, a bulging tail that reared up over its head, tipped with a spike that dripped poison like a Scorpion. But worse of all was its face, an all too human visage that glowered with rage and cunning. A sharp mind, totally unlike the bestial minds of its lesser kin, one that knew hatred and despair.

Bylan was dwarfed by the monster, all the Storm Heralds were, each one of them utterly outclassed. Yet there was one who dared to challenge it, the Dreadnought Ajax whom charged forth crying, "FACE ME FIEND!"

The Soul-Grinder's face split in wide-grin and in a voice that echoed with immaterial reverberations called, "Come to me, come and greet Ozymandias."

Bylan was aghast that this thing could talk but Ajax was undaunted and charged at full pace, his stomping feet carrying through the din of battle. His Assault cannon spun as he ran and it unleashed a hail of rounds, a barrage that would have decimated a sea of foes. Yet the Soul-Grinder was not hurt, the rounds running off its hide like the lightest rain. The Daemon Engine roared in fury and then the pair slammed together in a thunderous retort.

The Daemon horde screamed at the sight and once more closed in, rushing forward to engage the small knot of Storm Heralds. Bylan found himself in the thick of the fighting, battling to hold off the tide of Daemons. He struggled to keep the Standard upright and the nexus surrounding it slowed the Daemons down. The Storm Heralds held firm and battered down any who came at them but the enemy just kept coming regardless. The two sides were stalemated, neither one able to break the other.

Despite being surrounded Bylan could still see the battle between the two war machines, the duelling giants battering away at each other. Ajax was swinging his fist in wide sweeps, smashing armour plates and gouging at fleshy sinews. In return Ozymandias clawed at the Dreadnought's hide, leaving long gouges in the sarcophagus.

Thunder rolled and lightning flared as the pair battered away at each other, landing blows that would have broken the greatest of men and shattered fortresses to rubble. Ajax hammered with his fist, over and over, roaring his defiance for all to hear. In return Ozymandias struck back with claws and spiked limbs. His Scorpion tail arched up high over their heads and struck down, gouging at Ajax's dorsal armour, ripping and tearing at the reinforced plates.

Their duel took on a significance all its own, the rest of the battle fading in comparison. Nothing else mattered now, only this clash of giants, the fulcrum upon which the whole battle would turn. Ajax roared and swung his fist in an uppercut that caught the Soul-Grinder dead on. Power flared as the disruption field surged but the Daemon Engine was unbroken and lashed out with its claws once more. Ajax fended off the blows but he was seriously outmatched, attacks coming at him from all sides.

Even as Bylan watched the Soul-Grinder swung its scorpion tail to the side, trying to stab Ajax in the back. The Contemptor saw it coming and moved his right arm to intercept, blocking the blow with his assault cannon. The tail hit the arm above the elbow joint and sheared right through it, leaving the limb to drop in a ragged heap upon the ground. Ajax staggered back, sparks spraying from his ruined arm, yet he refused to countenance defeat and bellowed, "YOU SHALL NOT WIN!"

The Soul-Grinder sneered and hissed, "Brave words, but I see the heart of you. You are tired of endless war, so tired of living. You want me to win, you want me to send you to your death."

Ajax roared in defiance and charged forward once more, bringing his fist up. The Soul-Grinder grinned and reached out with its claws expecting another wrestling match but at the last second Ajax triggered his flamer and spat burning promethium into the Daemon's face.

Ajax barrelled forward and jabbed out with his fist but Ozymandias moved faster and caught the blow in one palm. Fleshmetal hissed as the disruption field arched but the Daemon sneered, "I have bathed in the fires of the Warp, I have danced in the coronas of dying stars. Did you really think a drop of Promethium would hurt me?"

Ajax struggled to pull his fist back but the Soul-Grinder heaved and slammed its bulk into the Dreadnought. Ajax went over like a toppled tree, slamming down on his back in a spray of mud. The Storm Heralds gasped to see the mighty war machine laid low and their line wavered and bent back.

Ajax tried to lash out from the ground but the Soul-grinder swayed effortlessly out of the way. Then Ozymandias stabbed down with one crab-like leg, pinning the arm and he leaned into hiss, "It is over, stop struggling. Accept your fate and be glad, your long dreary life is over."

"NEVER," Ajax roared.

Ozymandias chuckled and dragged a black claw over the battered sarcophagus as he said, "I know what it is like to be imprisoned in cold unfeeling metal, I know how it drags at your spirit. You are weary, so very tired and every day you long to see it end. I grant you a boon, I shall set you free. Death has come, rejoice for it is over at last."

From afar Bylan saw Ajax's distress and knew that in a moment the Soul-Grinder would smash down with its claws and end the Dreadnought in one blow. Before he knew what he was doing Bylan was running forward, bashing his way through the melee. He sprinted towards the duelling giants, blind to all else save the contest before him. Bylan saw Ozymandias draw his claws back, preparing to strike down on the prone Dreadnought and the Standard Bearer responded by throwing himself at the pair. The Daemon Prince spotted him coming and fractionally turned his head, a sneer of contempt spread over his face, but it turned to one of horror as he spied the Standard in Bylan's grip.

Bylan ran for all he was worth, stabbing the Banner upwards, right at the Soul-Grinder's face. Ozymandias shrieked as the Standard came right at him, the halo of faith surrounding it as obvious to the Daemon within as a lighthouse on a stormy night. It was blazingly bright to ethereal eyes and its purity was loathsome on an instinctive level. Ozymandias reared back in revulsion, throwing his hands up before his face to ward off the corona of belief.

At that moment Ajax moved, swinging his remaining arm across his body from a prone position. The wreaking ball of a fist caught Ozymandias' crab-like leg right behind the knee joint and shattered it apart, blowing the lower limb clean off. The Soul-Grinder swayed awkwardly on three legs as the unexpected blow sent it staggering back but Ajax wasn't done yet, his fist came about once more and this time tore off the other leg.

Ozymandias screamed as he collapsed forward, his front driven into the mud as his back legs scrambled for purchase. It was hopeless though, he was pinned, trapped by his own mass and unable to move. His scorpion tail thrashed and jabbed out but could not assist now: the Soul-Grinder was completely immobilised.

Bylan watched in wonder as Ajax slowly stood up, sparks spraying from the ruin of his Assault cannon. The Contemptor pulled his fist back as he loomed over the fallen Daemon Engine and he bellowed, "I CANT DIE YET, NOT WHILE THEY STILL NEED ME!"

Then he struck, driving his fist right into the centre of the fleshy chest before him, tearing out the Daemon's heart. There was a single moment of stillness, as the whole battle paused in wonder to see the scene before them and then there was a flare of dark light as the Soul-Grinder exploded. Blood and sinews and gears erupted outwards, spraying fleshmetal in all directions. A plume of black flames shot skyward, scorching Ajax's mauled chest and casting the whole battlefield into shadow. Bylan could feel the heat of it even through his armour and he could have sworn he heard dark laughter as something foul slipped free of its prison and fled into the freedom of the Warp.

The fire burned for an eternity, a tower of accursed energy and a monument to devastation. Then suddenly it blinked out of existence, leaving spotted afterimages on everybody's vision. Bylan blinked over and over as his helm's autosenses fought to restore themselves and then they cleared, leaving a vision of triumph. Nothing remained, save a pile of scrap metal and standing over it the scorched and battered form of Ajax, holding his fist aloft as he roared in victory.

The Daemon horde shrieked in horror and dismay and then as one their courage broke. The heaving mass of Neverborn entities turned tail and ran from the field, their mettle proving brittle indeed. They had seen one far mightier than they laid low and they had not the fortitude to stand against his conqueror. They were fickle creatures of instinct, living only in the moment, and right now their instincts were telling them to run.

As Bylan watched the enemy turned their backs and fled, disappearing as fast as their limbs could carry them. Here and there a handful of Chaos Marines struggled against the tide, shouting defiance but they could not hold the line. The Daemons swept over them and any who tried to resist were crushed underfoot. The rest were swept up and dragged away, leaving the field to the Storm Heralds.

Bylan could scarcely believe his eyes and he gazed at the retreating horde for a moment. Then his ears rang as a lone warrior lifted his voice in elation and cried aloud. The cry was taken up by another and another then all of Third Company roared, celebrating their impossible triumph.

Bylan punched the air too and held the Standard prouder than ever before, yet he was distracted by the warrior closest to him. It was Ajax, who was standing still amid the triumph, bent over slightly as if peering at his feet. Bylan had never seen the indomitable Dreadnought so still and silent, looking for all the world like an exhausted soldier, trying to gather a morsel of strength.

Bylan stepped nearer and said, "+Honourable Brother, is there a problem?+"

Ajax's vox speaker trembled and he whispered, "Just… need a minute."

Bylan was surprised, the vox speaker must be broken, Ajax had never been so quiet before. Bylan glanced at the Company and saw they were still celebrating and had not noticed the Dreadnought's strange behaviour. He leaned in and said, "+What are you doing?+"

"Tired," Ajax whispered, "So tired…"

Bylan was getting really concerned now, something was very wrong here and he said, "+Ajax, the Company are here, shall I summon aid?+"

Suddenly Ajax straightened, drawing himself upright and his voice returned to its booming timbre, "THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. I AM AJAX: THE BROTHERS CALL FOR ME WHEN THEY REQUIRE AID, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. THEY MUST NEVER SEE WEAKNESS."

Bylan blinked and dared to say, "+But I could…+"

Ajax turned to face him and said, "YOU WILL DO NOTHING AND YOU SHALL SPEAK NO MORE OF THIS."

Then the Dreadnought turned and stomped away leaving the Standard Bearer bemused. Bylan turned back to the Company and saw Chaplain Wrethan leading the Initiates in a ritual of triumph, a brief battlefield proclamation, not the full ritual observance. Bylan approached as the Chaplain concluded his sacrament and he heard the officer saying, "We shall recover our wounded and fall-back to the refugee camp. Our enemies are bested but not destroyed, they shall come again. We must hasten the evacuation and complete preparations. Make haste Brothers, we must leave this place before the enemy returns."