Locum Ignotum Chapter 27
In the uppermost parts of the tower was only stillness, the air totally undisturbed in the dull grey light. The sound of distant ship guns rang down but to all appearances, there were none to hear it. There was no hint that anyone was present and it seemed this scene could have laid undisturbed for millions of years and would so for another million.
That stillness was broken by the ringing sound of feet, a pair of armoured boot climbing a ramp onto the next level. It was Jubila, in all his twisted glory, ascending alone and unescorted. He was striding confidently, as if nothing in the universe could harm him and he seemed utterly assured of his safety.
Jubila paused at the top of the ramp and looked about, taking in the dull grey walls and unadorned stone. Save for the regular glyphs there was nothing to draw the eye, no sensational art or decadence to be seen anywhere. Jubila sniffed in disappointment, how dull this place's makers must have been, how boring.
Jubila would change all that, he would make this whole land into floating palace of Slaanesh. He could see it in his mind's eye, mile upon mile of torture racks, mixed with arenas for perversions to be undertaken. From this land he would lead vast armies out to conquer and enslave. Mind enhancing drugs and poisons would be brought from all corners of the galaxy and every possible depravity would be explored. There would be no limits to the decadence he would bring and Slaanesh would at last reward him with elevation to Daemonhood.
Jubila knew once he was a Daemon Prince he would be immortal, invulnerable. He would have no limits and none would dare to raise their hand to him. Even Ozymandias would no longer be a concern. Jubila realised that he had been standing still for several minutes and sighed, "You might as well come out, I know you're there."
There was the softest scrape of an armoured boot and then from behind a stone doorway came a lone warrior. He was clad in Mark II armour, bereft of insignia or iconography, save for a thick pelt over his shoulders and a heavy axe in his hand, worked with beautiful runic script. His head was bald but twin plaits hung from his chin as a beard.
The warrior's lips drew back to expose his fangs and he snarled in a typical Fenrisian accent, "You knew?"
Jubila cocked his head and said, "Of course, did you think you could leave two traps below and I wouldn't expect a third? Really Ganaar you are dense."
Ganaar's eyes narrowed as he realised the Warlord knew his name and Jubila enjoyed the confusion in his eyes. Ganaar would no doubt be thinking that Jubila had tortured the name out his comrades before killing them but the Warlord had far more entertaining surprises in store than that. Ganaar was looking about and probed, "You came alone?"
Jubila replied nonchalantly, "Why not, you present no danger to me."
Ganaar gripped his axe tightly and said, "Arrogant peacock, I will gift you with a red smile."
"How clichéd," Jubila sighed, "Two champions of their causes fighting in an epic struggle, it's been done to death. Let's try to shake it up a bit, shall we?"
Jubila clapped his hands and from below came the sound of another pair of boots approaching. Ganaar stepped back warily, expecting a trap but his jaw dropped when he saw who was approaching. It was Maxivus, climbing up with his thin sword in hand and a sorrowful look upon his face.
Jubila saw the confusion and dismay on the Space Wolf's face and it lit a spark of joy in his hearts. He could see the warring emotions within the warrior, the mix of hope, suspicion and denial, all fighting for supremacy. Even now the Space Wolf's mind would be racing, trying to cope with the unexpected arrival and deduce what it could mean. Was this a betrayal, a double-cross or an illusion?
Ganaar stepped back in dismay and said, "Maxivus, what are you doing here?"
Maxivus couldn't look him in the eye and whispered, "I'm sorry, I had to."
Ganaar eyed him and said, "This is a trick, you've lured this filth here so we can kill him together."
"No, you don't understand," whispered Maxivus, "I don't have a choice."
"No," Ganaar spat, "I can't believe it, not after everything we've been through. You were always arrogant but this is too much."
Maxivus' looked torn by indecision as he said, "Everything has changed, I've seen the heart of the universe. I can't go back to how it was, to who I used to be. Perfection is within my grasp, I… I can't turn aside now."
Jubila was relishing the pain on display, the broken brotherhood and shattered trust laid bare. He decided to ramp up the tension and said, "Allow me to explain, your friend here has seen the truth of Chaos. He has gazed upon the face of Slaanesh, nobody can do that and not become his slave. The need for more has consumed Maxivus; he will never be free of it."
"Maleficarum!" Ganaar growled as he lifted his axe, "I always knew you were arrogant and weak Maxivus, but I never thought you would bow to the likes of him."
"You'd be amazed at what people will do in the name of obsession," Jubila remarked, "Now can we hurry this along and get to the fighting, I haven't got all day you know."
Ganaar let loose a howl of anguish and threw himself at Maxivus, his axe a smear of light as he aimed for the Traitor's head. Maxivus however responded with blinding speed deflecting the blow with elegant skill and side-stepping the follow-up strike. His blade flicked out and tore a red ribbon in the Wolf's upper arm, before he danced back out of range.
Ganaar chased him, swinging his axe in a figure of eight, the rage and the fury building within him. He struck over and over but each time Maxivus deflected the blows and his return strokes nicked and tore at the Wolf's flesh. Ganaar had strength and rage but Maxivus had speed and skill. The Traitor hadn't taken a wound yet while his opponent was bleeding from a score of cuts.
Maxivus dodged a blow that would have taken off his head and called, "I wish it could have been different but it has to be this way. Can't you see that I have to do this!"
Ganaar roared, "Shut up and fight you bastard!"
The pair danced back and forth, a performance of treachery and betrayal as old as the Imperium. Two warriors tearing at each other, each convinced that they were the just one. It was a microcosm of the struggle consuming the galaxy, brother against brother, friend against friend. Order against Chaos.
Jubila drank it all in and he was thrilled, their bonds of trust and comradery had been shattered and all that was left was rage. For a moment he thought back to his trick with the circle of civilians, making them fight each other for survival, but this was so much better. These two had already broken every bond and oath they had made to each other, they were pushing themselves beyond their limits and were doing things they never thought they would do. There was nothing like a betrayal for pushing people to the most extreme of emotions Jubila thought.
"Stupendous! Magnificent!" Jubila cried delightedly as he clapped his hands loudly, "Encore, encore!"
"Shut up!" Ganaar snarled in anger but for an instant his eyes flicked aside and at that moment Maxivus struck.
The thin grey sword darted out and went straight for Ganaar's axe-hand. The old wolf saw the move coming and tried to avoid it but the sword was too fast and it caught him a glancing blow. The tip scored across the back of his hand and in one moment severed three fingers. Ganaar's axe flew from his hand in a spray of blood and clattered as it rang on the floor.
A mortal would have been shocked and stunned, frozen into a fatal pause but the Space Wolf reacted instantly. He threw himself at his foe, jaws wide open, clearly intended to rip out the throat with his fangs. Maxivus however was ready and his sword point was already back in place, held out so that Ganaar impaled himself on the length of the blade.
The point ripped into Ganaar's belly and he finally froze, transhuman blood running down his legs. His Larraman cells began to clot, trying to stem the bleeding but it was too little too late. The wound was a huge rip across his belly and nothing could save him now. Maxivus lowered his head in respect and said, "You fought well, but you had to know you couldn't beat me."
"Filth," Ganaar gasped still with the blade sticking out of his belly.
"Hold still," Maxivus said, "I'll finish you quickly, for old times' sake."
Ganaar must have been in agony but Jubila heard him snarl, "Still as arrogant as ever but you overlooked something."
Maxivus frowned and said, "Defiant to the end but I know you've got nothing left."
Ganaar's lip twitched as he said, "It seems you forget, I've still got that bolt pistol."
Maxivus' eyes widened as Ganaar's other hand came up holding a blunt pistol. He tried to twist out of the way but the range was too short and before he could react the pistol was pointed at his hearts and the trigger was depressed. A series of loud bangs erupted as the pistol discharged at point blank range, emptying the clip in one burst.
Maxivus' armour actually held against the first bolt but the second dented it and the third broke through entirely. A score of bolt rounds blasted into his chest, exploding within his hearts and blasting him apart from the inside out. Maxivus collapsed backwards in an explosion of flame and gore, leaving his killer standing there with his blade still in his guts.
As Maxivus' corpse lay cooling Ganaar swayed back and forth, practically dead on his feet and Jubila was surprised that he could stand at all. Unfortunately the Warlord wasn't prepared to give him time to recover and drew a Charnabal sabre. He advanced and remarked, "Well that was unexpected but thoroughly enjoyable. Still I'm afraid you have to die anyway."
The Space Wolf momentarily eyed the sword in his own gut, as if thinking of pulling it out and fighting on but Jubila knew he was too wounded for that. Instead Ganaar looked the Warlord in the eye and said feebly, "Death and I are old friends, I do not fear the Underverse."
Jubila stalked closer and said, "You should, there are things in hell waiting to greet you. Chaos takes all sooner or later."
Ganaar offered no resistance but uttered, "It doesn't matter, I die in victory and you have tasted defeat."
Jubila paused in his approach and said, "Perhaps you weren't paying attention but I have everything in my grasp. Your comrades are dead, you are about to die and your throne-worshipping friends will fall soon after, you could never have stopped me."
Now it was Ganaar's turn to smile and he said, "We weren't trying to stop you, just slow you down. And you've wasted a lot of time messing about when you could have been breaking into the skiff."
Suddenly a loud rumble ran down from the very top of the tower and Jubila instantly recognised the sound of a ship breaking away from a dock. He looked up in surpris e and said, "What is going on?"
Ganaar smirked and said, "That's the sound of the Allfather's loyal sons escaping you idiot. They have a way out and if my guess is right it's going to break absolutely everything else in the process. This is the sound of you losing!"
Jubila snarled and thrust his blade forward, stabbing it into Ganaar's hearts. The blade speared right through him and out the other side in a spray of blood. Ganaar however was still smirking and he whispered his last words, "You lose… Fenrys Hjolda."
Then the light fled from Ganaar's eyes and he went limp, Jubila withdrew his blade with a snarl and let the corpse fall to the floor. Then he looked up and a terrible anger built within him as he roared, "No! Nooo!"
