{oOo}

The leader of the army was a giant in armour of brass, larger even than Angron. Unlike many of the leaders assembled around him - at least Kharn thought they were leaders, perhaps champions would be a more apt description - his proportions were broadly human. "I AM DOOMBREED, FAVOURED CHAMPION OF KHORNE!"

"Oh Serenity, there are two of them," Kharn whispered, earning himself a nasty look from Lucius, who had been patched up and insisted on following them to meet the army. "I am Kharn, Equerry to Angron!" he replied.

"IT ALWAYS PLEASES ME TO WELCOME A FELLOW HUMAN TO OUR RANKS. YOUR DEEDS WILL BE FELL AND GLORIOUS!"

"THEY HAVE BEEN SO FAR," Angron said, causing Kharn to blink as he realised he had been complimented. If it were possible he would have stood straighter.

"What brings you to Cadia?" asked Kharn.

"WAR!" Doombreed roared enthusiastically.

Angron nodded solemnly.

"ARE YOU PREPARED KINSMAN?" the giant demanded. "TO LEAD THIS WARHOST INTO EPIC CONFLICT, TO SPILL BLOOD FOR MY MASTER KHORNE AND TO HEAP SKULLS IN HIS HONOUR?"

Wait what?

Kharn looked over to his master, who drew his swords. "HOW CAN I REFUSE SUCH A CHALLENGE?"

Doombreed laughed. "I KNOW THE FEELING! IMAGINE IT, THE GALAXY AT OUR FEET, THE SLAUGHTER ONE THAT WILL BE SPOKEN OF IN HUSHED WORDS FOR A THOUSAND GENERATIONS!"

"IT WILL BE GLORIOUS,"Angron boomed. "THAT ONE -" he indicated Lucius "- SPOKE OF OATHS."

"INDEED." Doombreed gestured and two warriors - almost lizard like - dragged forwards a bundle. Using the butt of his axe he carved a rune in the barren soil between them in savage strokes. "HERE." He flung the bundle upon the ground, whipping away the blanket to reveal a child, a human child. "HER BLOOD SHALL SEAL THE COMPACT."

Angron stared down at the child, Kharn staring at him in horror. He couldn't really mean to do this, could he? "IT HARDLY SEEMS SUFFICIENT," the Primarch mused. "KHARN, KILL LUCIUS FOR ME."

Lucius, Captain of III Legion's 13th Company was possessed of superb, one might even say perfect reflexes. His power blade was out and he thrust it Kharn's chest, piercing his fellow Astartes' heart in a single lunge.

Then Kharn's fist closed around his opponent's wrist, pinning him in place. With his other hand, Kharn brought his axe down squarely upon the other Captain's helmet, the teeth of the chainaxe screaming as they tore through the ceramite armour. The noise was replaced by a slurping sound as they ripped almost without effort through the reinforced bone of skull and into the soft tissue of Lucius' brain. "My primarch, it is done."

The lord of the World Eaters lifted Lucius up over the rune and the child that squatted upon it. "THIS IS MORE WORTHY," he declared and tore open the astarte's battle plate, showering child and mark alike with blood and gore.

Doombreed threw back his head. "YES! MASTER IT IS DONE!" The planet itself seemed to shake in confirmation.

{oOo}