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The Alabaster Siren
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Incendiary shells shrieked overhead making one Saul Tarvitz curse with surprising foulness as the shells impacted with his huge armoured body, 'If this goes on we won't find her!'
Nevertheless, he held himself still until the bombardment halted and in that instant, before the traitor soldiers had the chance to reload, the waiting Emperors Children boiled out from their cover and surged forward wordless battle-cries harshened by the vox-broadcast from their helmets, causing some of the weaker willed soldiers to break and attempt to flee, yet where cut down along-side their comrades as the ruthless precision on the 3rd Legion came into play.
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"Children of the Emperor!" was the full-throated roar of Saul's squad as they bore down on the now unprotected and unarmed cultists clustered in an around the ritual circle that held the wailing form of a small infant.
The noise that erupted when they hit the circle and cultists was that of shattering glass, pulping meat and cracking bone.
"Arsenius!" barked Saul.
"Yes, sir!" the Librarian thrust out one hand, eyes shining, and the athame that had been diving for the pale infants chest, was splintered by the dome-shaped shield that formed over her.
The cultist drew breath to shriek, eyes also glowing brilliantly, only to let out a choked gurgle that was drowned out as Saul's bolter bit into and across her torso tearing her in half. Warp-spawned glow guttering away with her death, each half falling at his massive feet. The rest of his squad cut down the maddened cultists, some even throwing themselves on the Marines blades, crying out entreaties to Slaanesh.
The last of the killing done, Saul gestured to one of his marines to pick up the now quiet infant, the shield that the squads Librarian had projected around her dissolving, but was halted by said Librarian.
"Sir, wait."
Saul's eye pieces turned to the Librarian somehow projecting a sense of menace, before noting Arsenius held out his surcoat, "The ceramite will be a mite cold and hard for our Chemos," he said seriously, making Saul smile ruefully, though unseen from inside the dreadnoughts sarcophagus.
The girl sniffled, blinking up at them with watery, but vibrantly purple eyes.
Saul smiled again.
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Fine white brows drew together in intense concentration as the brightly threaded needle dipped into the backing cloth.
"Ouch!" she stuck her finger in her mouth reflexively.
There was a rough vox-growl that translated to a sigh of exasperation, "I told you to be careful," Saul reproached as he carefully set down the large tome of rites he had been reading and gently nudged her arm up with one large ceramite finger.
She wriggled her fingers, showing it had already stopped bleeding, "I am fine," she stuck her tongue out at him.
"Still, you have to be careful," he repeated.
"Yes, Saul," the young girl said solemnly, laughter in her clear eyes.
He could only sigh gratingly again as he picked up the neglected tome.
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