Greetings fellow readers. I am glad my first chapter was a success! I have always wanted to write a Warhammer story and the Adeptus Custodes are one of my favorite factions. This chapter was quite difficult for me to write a battle that did not feel way too repetitive. So far I am satisfied with the finished product and I hope you all will enjoy it! I'm sorry that I was not able to respond to all of your messages and comments. School and work have made it difficult for me. It feels good writing again when the past few years when work and stress prevented me from writing. Though I must confess painting miniatures are also the reason for my long hiatus. Thank you and For the Emperor!
A small woman was walking briskly through a narrow corridor with several menials and armed guards marching behind her shoulders trying to keep up. Despite her young appearance and fragile body, this woman held significant power in the Imperium. Her name was Jek and she was Chancellor of the Imperial Council. Her power didn't come from brute strength as a warrior nor did her power come from being a tactical genius coordinating a war. Her power came from the parchment of paper even Space Marines must respect and listen to her words. Her office was the chief bureaucrat of the Senatorum Imperialis.
At the end of the narrow corridor, she opened a large set of doors before telling her guards and menials to remain outside. Through the large set of doors, she entered a large circular chamber full of military officials all staring at digital boards or data-slates keeping up to date on the Imperial force's progress against the cultists. The air smelled thick of recaf and sweat as most of these officers drank dozens of cups to stay alert and haven't properly bathed in days. Servitors were fused to their seats staring at screens full of data codes the Adeptus Mechanicus could only translate. There were other servitors pulling hundreds of jacks on an archaic switchboard filtering out important vox messages for high command.
In the center of the chamber was a large oval table displaying a holo projection of a Hab-Block sector with a red dot in the center representing the mysterious gate. An old man wearing an olive-green uniform with dozens of military decorations on his chest was leaning against the edge of the table staring at the holo-projection with tired old eyes. A young officer was standing next to him reading a data-slate to his superior the list of casualties and petitions for reinforcements.
The man stared up and nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Chancellor, welcome to my hell."
"Lord Militant Sepp." She bowed. "We need to talk about the security of Terra."
Luitwin Sepp was Lord Militant of the Segmentum Solar. He was essentially the Commander and Chief of all Astra Militarum forces in the Sol System and was responsible for commanding all Guardsmen regiments battling the cultists on Terra. Jek could see how the burden of defending Terra had quickly aged the man as his remaining black hair was turning white and more wrinkles were appearing near his eyes. His back was arched forward giving the impression he needed a cane to remain upright after spending weeks staring at the holo-projections slouched. It was still a surprise to her that Guilliman allowed him to serve as a Militant still rather than giving the title to a younger able body.
The Militant sighed tiredly. "It's what everyone wants to hear lately, that damn gate." He stared at the red dot on the holo-projections. "Well, what do you want to know Chancellor? Make it snappy as you can see I am in the middle war against heretics."
Jek was taken a bit back hearing how rude the Militant was to treat a high official of the Imperial Court so casually. "Well, that's the thing, Militant. You are so focused on the cultists, you seem to forget another enemy has appeared right in the heart of the capital.
He snorted. " Ah, yes. I must divert all my attention to defend Terra against savages armed with swords and shivs. I will happily recall all regiments and allow the heretics to take over the cities."
"Do not make such jest, Militant. " She said sternly. " You are forgetting who you are speaking to."
The young officer next to the Militant gulped and discreetly loosened his collar seeing the growing tension between the Senatorum Imperialis and the Astra Militarum.
The old Militant stood up straight and his tired eyes were now alert and full of fire. "What you ask, Chancellor is not possible at this time. Surely, you know of our situation. You have your spies and menials whispering in your ears. Our forces are overstretched and I have no regiments available to mobilize an expedition through that Gate without pulling our current forces from the frontlines."
"Surely, you need to make a better effort, Militant of the Segmentum Solar. As long as that gate remains open it represents the humiliation of the entire Imperium. The cradle of humanity has been infiltrated by these 'savages armed with swords and shivs' and no one seems to have detected them. It is a threat we must erase."
He slammed his fist against the table. "Listen to me, Chancellor. Do not come to my office and humiliate me in front of my men!"
"The Lord Commander demands that you do your duty and defend the Throne!"
"Demands? I had to recall all Guardsmen regiments when I heard the Throne was invaded by a mysterious threat. All the sectors that we have recovered from the cultists thanks to the sacrifice of thousands of brave men and women you will never hear of now belong to the heretics once more. I must live with the fact that they died for nothing. I have been demanded by commanders for fuel and supplies rather than shouting these demands at the Master of the Administratum because she wouldn't speak to them. I have petitioned for more regiments to the Throne and guess what the governors all told me. They have sent their regiments to the Primarch. The Throne is being threatened and they give all their resources to Guilliman and his damn Crusade."
The loud chamber quickly turned silent as the officers were shocked hearing their Militant criticize the Emperor's son so openly to a high servant of the Senatorum Imperialis.
"Have you all gone mute?" He shouted at his staff. "Back to work!"
His officers quickly resumed their task and began to vox commands to the frontline troops.
"These are hard times, Militant." She said sternly. "The Lord Commander has put so much of his faith in you and you will use whatever resources you have to keep the Throne safe."
"Find me men and fuel and I will give you a burning world to our Primarch. Now, if you have nothing else to say, Chancellor, get the hell out of my chambers."
It has been a few months since the mysterious army attempted to invade the Throne World and to Jek's frustration, there was still no immediate response. She decided to seek counsel from her old dear friend, Tieron who was the previous Chancellor before resigning. She took her personal lander and quickly flew to his residence. The trip was grueling as the skies of Terra were full of air traffic ranging from Arbite gunships asking for security clearances and slowly maneuvering the lander around massive civilian haulers which transporting precious food to sanction ports. When she finally reached his villa, Tieron was standing outside waiting for her with his guards behind him.
"Tieron." She smiled. "It is good to see you again."
The old, chubby man bowed his head before gently placing his hand on her shoulder. "To what do I owe for such a visit?"
"I was hoping we would speak privately. I am afraid it is Imperial politics rather than pleasure this time."
" I am honored to be of service, Chancellor."
Inside the villa, the two were in a private chamber installed with various security wards and code scramblers preventing anyone from the outside to hear their conversation. In the chamber, there was a small table full of sweets and bottles of wine. Between the table were two large sofas where the two sat on either end. With some wine in their gold goblets, Jek began to discuss the last few days of news to her old friend.
"And that old brute just kicked me out of the war room just like that as if my station has no significance."
Her friend grabbed a roll of sweet bread and ripped it apart. "Sepp is an old veteran. You must give him some sympathy, Jek. There is no other mortal who holds so much weight on his shoulder in defending the cradle of mankind."
"That's the thing, Tieron. He is an old man. I'm still baffled The Primarch still kept that walking relic around. I think someone younger and a fresh pair of eyes would have done a better job"
"Terra still needs experienced leaders both mortal and the Divine." He said before biting down on the sweet bread. "The Lord Commander needs someone he can trust besides the Captain-General to defend the Throne while he is on Crusade."
"That might be…" She huffed before drinking a large amount of wine
"So, any news at the Assembly?"
She wiped her lips with a velvet handkerchief. "Unproductive."
"How so?" He asked intriguingly.
"Rather than mobilizing Imperial forces to the Gate, they all began to discuss the spoils of war and debate what we should do to this feudal planet."
Tieron scooted closer to his friend. Despite retiring from service, hearing what the High Lords of Terra had in mind always drew his curiosity.
"What did they talk about?"
"Well, she cleared her throat, "Raskian requested he receives human prisoners and keeps Xeno prisoners to his Voidship."
Tieron squinted. "Why would the Martian Fabricator General want organic prisoners?"
"He said something about giving it to his Magos Biologis."
"Of course. A silly question."
The old man felt a little sympathy for the foul Xeno and the feudal humans. The Magos Biologis prefer their subjects alive while they conduct vivisection.
"Besides listing all the casualties, much of the session was talking about transforming the feudal planet into an agri-world or jokingly a pleasure world."
"An agri-world just a few steps through a gate would be a terrific idea though, Jek. Terra's population would no longer rely on void ships transporting food daily. If the Astronamican fails again, God-Emperor forbids, the people will still have food."
She shook her head in frustration. " What is the point of thinking so far ahead if we don't even have a proper army? I was so sick of the frustration, the Captain-General shared my disgust."
He furrowed his brows. " What do you mean the Captain-General shared your disgust?"
"He quietly left the Sanatorium while the other High Lords debated about wealth and spoils."
"I wouldn't blame Valoris. The debate had nothing to do about the security of our Emperor."
"I honestly should go and seek him." She grabbed her empty goblet and poured fresh wine in it. "Perhaps he might provide a solution."
"I had a difficult time seeking his audience when I was Chancellor, Jek. I do not think he will open his ears that easily."
"Well, I must try! The security of Terra is at stake and not one being on this planet knows that better than him"
"What about that Captain Tor Garadon? A company of the Adeptus Astartes should be enough to suppress this world."
"I was wondering that myself. Alas, he is duty-bound to defend the Throne World and suppress the greater threat: the cultists. There have been reports of increased activity of civilians and lesser officials converting their faith to Chaos, bolder attacks in the open, and more Chaos Gifted sightings. I have heard the only contribution he did was fortifying a defense around this mysterious structure."
Jek could feel her head aching in pain from the stress of frustration as she tenderly rubbed her forehead with her fingers. Tieron sat by her side and rubbed her back affectionately as he sympathized with his dear friend's frustration of feeling helpless. "It really feels like I am the only one concerned that this Gate is a danger to the Throne."
A few silent beeps of her comm bead lifted her head from depression as she cleared her throat and activated the bead. "Yes?"
"Chancellor, there has been a development in the Palace."
She rolled her eyes while continuing to rub her aching forehead. "What kind of development?"
"Well… a large number of the Adeptus Custodes are leaving the palace on foot."
Her eyes went wide and the aching pain in her forehead miraculously disappeared as she stood up suddenly. "W-what!? To where and how many?"
Tieron was curious wondering what kind of new development had brought his dear friend out of depression.
"It is hard to say, my Lord. I-I have never seen so many leave the palace before. I-I count 100 so far and more are marching out."
She deactivated the mic for a bit to relay the news to Tieron. " The Custodes are leaving the palace on foot."
Even he stood on his feet in shock. "What did you say!?"
Jek was pale in disbelief hearing the news. Why would the Captain-General send so many to a feudal planet? There were stories of the Adeptus Custodes conquering planets with just a fraction of that amount. This was no longer going to be a slaughter but a massacre.
Hearing no further news, she quietly sat on the couch in disbelief. "The news I hear is that the 300 Custodes and 3 Dreadnought are heading towards the hive city. It is safe to assume they will be heading towards the Gate."
Unlike the Chancellor, Tieron calmly sat on the couch beside her while rubbing his chin. "This is an interesting development. Tell me, Jek. What color were they?"
"What? Gold as always."
He snorted " I meant the color on their left pauldron."
She frowned and asked her operator. "Black."
He nodded his head while rubbing his chin and pondering this news. "Very interesting."
"What is?"
"How much do you know about the Ten-Thousand?"
"Clearly not much if I don't know the significance of the color on their pauldron."
He sighed. "You know the significance. You are just too stressed to remember."
He poured fresh wine into his gold goblet. "Well, like the Adeptus Astartes, the Custodes require specialists in their ranks but instead of Chapter Companies, they have Shield Hosts. There are many shield hosts but there are a few I know."
He took a sip of his wine to wet his throat from the constant talking. "The first one that comes to mind is the Emissaries Imperatus. The Heralds of the Golden throne are the personal messengers of the Emperor. Their weapons are their voice and it is said their words alone could stop a civil war from happening. Their color is white. Do you know why?"
"Why?"
"The white shade symbolizes peace. They are not there to deliver the Emperor's judgment and not draw blood. Such actions would tarnish their clean white robes."
"And the significance of the Black?"
"The Custodians marching towards that gate are the Dread Host, the Instruments of the Emperor's Wrath. They alone deliver the Emperor's judgment using fear and vicious brutality."
"Rightfully so. Any threat against the Throne World should be delivered with Divine Punishment. But this does not explain why the Captain-General unleashed the Ten-Thousand."
"The answer you seek lies in the description of the Dread Host. They alone deliver the Emperor's judgment." He repeated.
"They alone? So, this is all political then?"
"Correct. For a divine being that hated politics, Trajan Valoris is a cunning fox wearing a lion's mane. He has announced to the High Lords and the Imperium that the Adeptus Custodes will be the only ones to defend the Throne from this feudal enemy. Any threat no matter how powerful or small shall receive equal judgment from the Emperor's golden companions."
Jek shook her head in disbelief. "And you perceived all that from a color on a pauldron."
Seventy Custodes in four groups in parade formation were marching towards the Gate. In front of the marching titans, three dreadnaughts had the honor to be the first to enter. The lead dreadnought was taller than his kin of the Moritoi and the most venerable figure of all the Imperium. From the rear twenty Vertus Praetors were slowly flying in a wedge formation. The Telemon Dreadnaught was called upon to war armed with Arachnus las-storm rotary cannon, a large power fist, and a back-mounted Spiculus Bolt Cannon. Behind him, two Morioi brothers entombed in Contemptor-Achilles Dreadnaughts walked with him armed with Dreadspears.
The Telemon Dreadnaught was known by many names, but his Emperor named him Tatius. He was one of the last few servants of the Imperium who had the honors of serving the Emperor by his side personally before He was entombed on the Golden Throne. He was one of the original members of the Legio Custodes that took part in the War Within the Webway. Ten-thousand Custodes went into the Webway to prevent the forces of Chaos from spewing into the Imperial Palace and only a thousand returned. During the five-year war in Calastar, a derelict Eldar city within the Webway, Tatius slew thousands of bloodletters and slaid a Bloodthirster with one arm ripped off and missing a good chunk of his face. Nearly dying he was given the reward to serve eternally in a Dreadnought chassis.
As the Shield Host marched deeper in the city, civilians would weep in joy kneeling or prostrating themselves to the side. There was no need for local Adeptus Arbites or Guardsmen to clear the streets as the Custodes marched because no one would dare to block their path. The sight of so many of the Emperor's bodyguards marching on the streets brought religious exaltation as some thin civilians had the courage to crawl near the marching columns and touch their red cloaks before pulling away quickly. Some believed that touching the cloaks of one of the Emperor's holiest servants would bring out some sort of miracle to cure their hunger or disease ailments.
"Look how much his domain decays when lesser servants worship him with religious superstitions." One of the Achilles Dreadnaughts growled in telepathic communion with his two Moritoi Brothers. The sight of wailing humans praying to their Emperor makes him want to vomit if he could.
"It still disgusts me." Said the twin giant. "I always wonder if I am still asleep and this is just a nightmare."
Unlike the Hykanatoi, the Dreadnaughts do not remain on guard 24/7. In fact, once their task is done, they would be sent back in hibernating stasis until they are called upon once more. Such inactivity could last for centuries as it was rare for the Captain-General to send their most rare weapons in battle.
"Hush now, my venerable brothers." Taitus said sternly. "We are here to wage war not to criticize his people."
"Why are we awake? Such lesser tasks should be given to humans. There is no glory slaying men and Xeno armed with knives"
"Because our Captain-General commands us, young one. They threaten His domain. Am I the one to remind you of your duty?"
To call an armored, golden dreadnought a young one would be an insult that would pulverize any man. But Taitus was more than 10,000 years and he commanded respect from his younger brothers.
"Besides," Taitus continued. "It is good to stretch my arms once more. We have been asleep for far too long, Brothers." He lifted his Arachnus las-storm cannon and the barrels slowly rotated. "I have not fought in battle for three centuries. I yearn to smell fresh blood once more."
At the entrance of the marble gate, three Shield Captains waited patiently for their host to approach them. One of the Captains sat on a golden jetbike with his interceptor lance raised high. Another Captain wore the Allarus pattern terminator armor wearing a long black cloak with the double-headed Eagle painted on the fabric with a large castellan axe held to his side. The last shield Captain wielded a Guardian Spear and stood by the terminator's side.
Once the host was nearly twenty-five paces away from the structure they halted. The Terminator Shield-Captain approached his host and all the Custodians slammed the butts of their Spears on the ground at attention. The city was silent and the sound of the spears smacking against the earth echoed thunderously.
The bulky Shield-Captain approached the Telemon Dreadnaught and bowed his head in respect. "Honorable Taitus, it is an honor to have you walk among us."
"Shield-Captain Oldorian Mefistal." The Telemon Dreadnaught tilted its upper body as he lacked a neck. "The Captain-General has chosen you to lead this host?"
"Our Lord has. Do you approve of his choice?"
"I approve his judgment." The dreadnought stood up straight. "Guide Morioi to war, Shield-Captain. We hunger to unleash the Emperor's judgment."
"You have the privilege to be the Emperor's spearhead."
"You give us great honor."
Mefistal pulled off his helm and an armoury thrall quickly rushed by his master's side. The Shield Captain's skin was riddled with scars, his skin was pale white, and his head was cleanly shaven. The thrall were mortal men sworn servants to the Custodes. Their tasks were to follow closely to their masters by polishing their armor, reloading their bolt caster built into their guardian spears and sentinel swords, or other menial tasks.
The thrall wore a black robe signifying his servitude to the Dread host as he kneeled before the Shield-Captain and held up a silk pillow. The captain placed his Helm on the pillow and the mortal servant quickly stepped back. The helm was heavy, but the mortal never showed a sign of discomfort as he kept his prostrating posture with the pillow raised above his head.
"A new threat has appeared before us." The Shield Captain shouted. "Humans working with foul Xenos have stepped in his Domain butchering his loyal servants."The Throne was attacked once more." His voice was full of cold malice. "We have failed Him in detecting this threat before it came. Such failure has disdained our honorable watch and broke our silent vows to our Emperor. The Captain-General has called upon the Dread Host to enter this Gate and to deliver His will. We are to atone for our carelessness and unleash our wrath upon these lesser beings. Is there anyone against the Captain-General's decision?"
The city was quiet as the Shield Host stood still like statues.
"All those in favor?"
Without any hesitation, all three hundred Custodes and the Achilles Dreadnaughts raised their spears and lances in the air.
With a flick of his fingers, the armoury thrall quickly kneeled by his master's side and presented him his helm. He slid the helmet on and his eyes blood red slits glowed brightly. The Saderan Empire had stepped on a lion's tail and now the three hundred lions were ready to be unleashed.
"To War."
Beyond the Gate, the army of the Saderna Empire made camp near the base of a rocky hill ridge which was a barrier between Alnus Hill and the camp. Hundreds of campfires were lit up on the hills keeping soldiers warm during the cold night. The men couldn't sleep much as they all wore their heavy armor for months. It was almost dawn and the weary soldiers hoped they could go to bed. The hills also provided a great line of sight and elevation as they placed two hundred heavy trebuchets across the hill ridge to provide artillery support for the main army. At the edge of the hill, the engineers set up hundreds of ballistas ready to rain hell upon the invaders. For three months the men of the Saderna Empire waited for a counterattack beyond the Gate. They set up elaborate defenses near the gate like chevaux de frise, which were wooden stakes fused intended to be used as a defensive obstacle against cavalry and infantry. Sentries were stationed near the Gate intended to wear down the main army by lighting a large signal fire.
Morale was low in the camp ever since the vanguard army was decimated in less than a few hours. Seeing the few survivors and the three Generals mentally broken only added further fear. Many soldiers whispered rumors of what was lurking beyond the black void. Some say the world beyond Falmart was the underworld. The skies were brown, humans were all thin like ghouls speaking in a foreign language, skulls were flying in the sky, and their architecture was depressing and lacked any color. Other's heard the world was full of mages with staffs firing lighting and fire. But most agree that the world was ruled by Titans and the survivors escaped began to mutter "The Golden Death", over and over. The sight of even the surviving Auxilla monsters crawling into a ball weeping was a sight none had ever seen.
The fear eventually spread among the ranks and every day there was a report of deserters attempting to flee, but most were caught. The common punishment to deal with deserters varied among the legion, but hanging was the simplest. Rather than being hanged on a tree, the entire company must surround the accused, the company's centurion, and a wyvern dragoon. Once the centurion read out the accused's sentence, a noose was tied around the accused's neck and the length was tied to the wyvern's body. The dragoon would they urge his mount to slowly fly vertically up and slowly strangle the accused in the air. It was a message to the entire army what happens to any man who wished to desert their post.
News of the expeditionary army's defeat quickly reached back to the Saderan capital, shocking Emperor Augustus and the Imperial Senate. The loss of nearly thirty thousand men was a bit concerning since they sent sixty percent of their entire military to explore this new world and expand their influence. It was even more concerning when the Tribune of the expeditionary force requested reinforcements when he already had a large military force stationed in Alnus Hill. With the remaining military patrolling the Empire's borders, the Senate petitioned all of their vassal states to form a coalition army and mobilize to Alnus Hill as soon as possible.
The Tribune also wrote in his report that the three Generals that Zorzal commissioned, were no longer fit to lead the army. In his lengthy report, he criticized them for cowardice, committing adultery, drunk, volatile, and inept to lead the army. The Senate was outraged that three Generals were not able to lead the expeditionary force, thus they sent Senator Godasen as the new Commander of the expeditionary force.
Senator Godasen was an old man nearing his retirement. He had long grey hair that reached past his shoulders, he had many wrinkles on his face, and his once young back was now crooked. Despite his old appearance, he was an experienced general who fought numerous campaigns in his youth and was a mage. He immediately restored order to the expeditionary army and quickly set up defenses in preparation for the enemy's counterattack. He made sure to be strict and punished his men severely if they were drunk, disobedient, mutinous, or cowards. It was a mistake to send three youthful, inexperienced generals to war, but Prince Zolzal would never admit it. To further hide any further humiliation, Prince Zolzal ordered his three Generals to remain in camp until the end of the campaign. He hoped that this shame would eventually die down and he would be able to keep his reputation despite their complaints about the immediate transfer. The warning of stripping their title and wealth or death silenced the three Generals' complaints.
In the commander's tent, Godasen was staring at a map near a bronze fire cauldron. A young female slave poured him a cup of wine, while the legion's Tribune stood by Godasen's side reading a scroll out loud.
"Third Legion." He read. "Reported drunk forty legionaries in a brawl. Seven in critical condition, five in stable condition, and six dead."
The old commander rubbed his tired eyes. He stayed up all night managing the army while waiting for any news for reinforcements. Even if he wanted to go to bed he could hear the shouts and moans of women in pleasure near his tent. His neighbors were the three young generals and they spent most of their time indoors drinking, eating, or trying to distract themselves from having sex with their slaves. The sound of loud moans became more tolerable once the weary old man drank wine.
The old Senator sighed wearily. "Just skip all the depressing details and give me the full details of our strength." He then took a sip of his wine.
"Colt Formal has sent 1,500 men from the city of Italica to reinforce the army. 500 villagers from nearby villages and towns have joined our ranks. The total number is now 62,876 legionnaires, 1,500 Dragoons and 8,500 of both light and heavy cavalry."
"When will the Coalition army arrive?"
"Five days from now at least."
Before Godasen could ask for more details a legionnaire ran into the tent and kneeled before his superior. " My Lord! The signal fire has been lit!"
He stood up straight and stared at his officer. "Tribune, call upon our drummers and sound General Assembly. Immediately have our field artillery rain down on Alnus hill. Quickly mobilize all of our cavalries, crush the enemy, and buy time for the main army to attack."
The Tribune slammed his fist on his chest and bowed. "Sir!"
"Oh- and Tribune, tell General Maoi, Mudra, and Calasta to wear their armour. I expect them to join us in the field if they still seek redemption."
Godasen then stared at the bowed legionnaire. "Go and find a Dragoon messenger. Send word to the Emperor the battle begins."
On the hills, the Saderan imperial troops were running towards their artillery and began to pull the large beams of the Trebuchets into position, while the Legion drums were beating loudly in the background. Large monsters like pigmen and orcs were grabbing heavy boulders and setting them into the slings. While the monsters were busy loading the trebuchets the humans were preparing their ballistas and setting a gravity-fed cartridge full of bolts into the war machines.
To the side of the heavy artillery engines, the light and heavy cavalry were galloping around the hills and dashed towards the center in preparation for a massive charge. Behind the artillery, the main army was quickly assembling into combat formations and slowly marched over the hills in loose square blocks. Once the main army was in formation, the general would blow the legion horns and have the legionaries' formation stretch wide into Triple lines.
Godasen, his Tribune, and the three younger generals all rode their horses and stood next to the artillery engines for its high elevation to coordinate the movement of their army. With the three generals unable to give reliable intelligence beyond the gate Godasen relied on his army to be packed tightly together and hoping through sheer courage and numbers would win the day. He hoped with an artillery barrage and a cavalry charge would be enough to soften the invaders before committing the main army to advance.
Calasta leaned to the side and vomited violently from the growing anxiety. Ever since he and his small band escaped from the Gate, he was mentally broken with fear and paranoia. He remained in his tent for months and no one had ever seen him walk outside. He spent most of his time hiding underneath his bed in pitch darkness as if hoping it was enough to hide from anything. None of the pleasure slaves ever wanted to bed with him because even outside of his tent reek of a horrid stench. It was unsure when he ever went outside to bathe.
Mudra shook his head in disgust seeing the paranoid man vomit before he grabbed his leather wineskin and drank the rich wine heavily. Unlike Calasta, Mudra spent most of his time drinking heavily and in bed with the pleasure slaves to help distract himself during the period of waiting. His tent would always be filled with women or other noble officers to party all night with.
Maoi tried to distract himself by smoking pipe with various heavy drugs to help put off his thoughts. If he couldn't get high or feel the softness of a woman's skin his mind would wander off to that frightful battle. The sound of bolters roaring in the distance and the sound of chunks of meat exploding echoed in his ears loudly. He would be drenched in a cold sweat thinking about those yellow giants cleaving his men with such brutal swiftness. He could still imagine their red eyes staring into his soul and if he shut his eyes those demon eyes were still there.
Calasta would moan pathetically before wiping his lips and tried to urge his horseback to the camp.
"And where are you going?" Godasen asked sternly while his eyes were staring at Alnus Hill.
"If we stay here we all die!" The anxious general groaned.
"Stay and I will forgive all of your shame so that you may have our Emperor's favor once more. Leave and I shall have you executed for desertion. I will not have you tarnish the Imperial Army's honor any longer." The old senator shouted. "Tribune, you have command of the Cavalry. When I give the signal charge into invaders and break their spirits. Don't stay in there for long. Pull out and charge at their flanks while the main army attacks their broken center."
His senior officer slammed his fist to his chest before urging his horse to gallop towards the cavalry.
"Calasta."
"Y-yes?"
"You have the honors to be part of the vanguard once more."
"Wh-what?!"
"You shall be in charge of our Auxilia Monster legion. You must be there attacking the invaders' broken lines once the cavalry breaks off."
"I will not!" He shook his head frantically. " You are condemning me to die."
"All men die eventually, young General. I will not hear another word! You will do your duty or I will have your head."
The young general wanted to protest, but no excuse could escape from his lips.
"It is settled then. Guards, escort General Calasta to the Auxilia line. I grow tired of this dry debate"
A pair of men riding horses grabbed Calasta's reins and slowly guided him to the front lines despite the young man's protest.
The old senator then motioned another guard to approach him for he had something to whisper in the guard's ear. "If that man dishonors this army in any way, I sanction Auxilia to have an early 'supper'".
The guard looked at his commanding officer with confusion before his eyes went wide in horror from what he meant. He quickly saluted his commander before galloping towards the Axillary line.
Through the black void, the two Achillus Dreadnaughts emerged from the void breaking the wooden stake obstacles with the nudge of their fist or swiping them in the air with their Dreadspears. They took a few steps forward scanning the area for any hostile threats. In their disappointment, they saw a few monsters and small humans running away towards the hills in fear where a large army was waiting patiently for them. They took a few more steps forward and the Telemon Dreadnaught emerged slowly out of the gate followed by Shield-Captain Oldorian Mefistal and his Dread host in parade formation. The sound of their heavy boots both dreadnoughts and Custodian guards could be heard beyond the hill. The sound itself was enough to make the men sweat in fear. Slowly, the Custodians all broke formation and stood shoulder to shoulder in a single stretched line. Several honored Custodes raised their Vexillas proudly, which were golden banners of a double-headed eagle and the ultimate symbol of the Emperor's authority.
The sight of large golden behemoths and an army of titans even made Godasen anxious while the army was in awe seeing Titans in gold. They were all magnificent clad in the finest wargear no kingdom could ever replicate. Their three giants towered over Saderna's Auxiliary mountain trolls and they were armed with intimidating spears. Slowly, the sun would rise across the hill and the sunlight would reflect off the regal titans' armour blinding the army in golden light. The old Senator gripped on his horse's reins tightly as he began to understand how the expeditionary force was destroyed so easily. The land through the Gate was indeed full of Titans and they seek retribution.
He unsheathed his sword and stared at the two remaining young generals. "General Mudra, you are to gallop with haste and command the 10th Legion. General Maio, you are to command the 16th Legion."
To Godasen's shock, the two generals were petrified in fear as they stared at the Golden Titans. Maio was shaking his head in denial with tears gushing out of his eyes. It was not a surprise that his saddle became wet as he relieved himself in fear.
The old man sighed in frustration that his two officers were useless and already out of commission before the battle began. He was sure his supposed third senior officer was quivering in fear in the Auxiliary line. "Do not waver Men!" He shouted loudly hoping his voice could be heard by a good chunk of his army. "Our army outnumbers them vastly. No military power has ever broken the Imperial Army!"
Centurions near their Commander would coax their men to shout in agreement. The shouts would slowly grow louder and louder till the entire army was shouting and cheering as morale slowly increased.
"Let us send these foul beings back to the abyss!' Godasen shouted. "Artillery, prepare for bombardment. IGNITE!"
The sound of trumpets near the old Commander signaled the artillerymen to prepare flaming projectiles. The men would throw flammable gel on the boulders before igniting them with a torch.
"LOOSE!"
With the sound of trumpets blowing on a different keynote, the trebuchets shot their flaming projectiles into the sky along with hundreds of scorpion bolts towards Alnus Hill. The number of projectiles raining down would have been enough to destroy various stone keeps a dozen times over, but to Godasen's horror, the long bolts would glance off of the Achillus Dreadnaughts shield emitters called refractor fields. Any flaming boulders that would directly hit the two dreadnaughts were sliced in half with their Dreadspears. Venerable Taitus would raise his rotary Arachnus Storm cannon and fire volleys of hot lasers into the sky destroying any flaming projectiles that would hit him or any member of the Dreadhost. Any boulders the Telemon Dreadnaught missed were quickly chipped away into rubble by precise bolt shots from guardian spears.
Seeing that trebuchets failed to wreak havoc in the invader's lines, he decided to call upon the cavalry to charge the enemy. Trebuchet had a slow fire rate and they were initially designed for sieges and not in an open battlefield. Reloading each shot would take time and he knew clearly these weapons would not give him the decisive victory. The ballistas were the only artillery pieces he could use to provide consistent support for his cavalry.
"Keep Firing! He shouted. "Tell The Tribune to begin his charge." The trumpets by the commander blasted several times while a legionary waved an enlarged red flag on top of a hill.
"That's the signal! CHARGE!" The Tribune shouted as he unsheathed his sword and all 8,500 cavalrymen galloped towards Gate. The ground began to shake as thousands of hooves beat against the dirt while throwing sand and dirt into the air. "Do not falter men! 300 giants can't possibly take us all out. Emroy is with us!"
Shield-Captain Mefistal was observing the battlefield as he made mental notes of the enemy's strength, any serious threats, and the enemy's numbers. So far he was not impressed with neither the enemy's strength nor did he find any serious threats. He did find the archaic artillery to be a nuisance and he wanted that gone first. The giant bolts from the scorpions lost most of their energy by the time they met the Custodian line. The Custodes simply deflected the raining arrows with their spears or simply veered away slightly.
He then stared at the charging men riding equines and shook his head in disappointment. "Venerable Taitus, you are free to pass judgment."
The Telemon's eyes glowed brightly as his rotary cannon spun fast. "My brothers," he growled, "hunt well."
With their metaphorical leashes snapped off, the twin Achillus Dreadnaughts let a loud growl before sprinting towards the charging cavalry. "In His name!" They both shouted through their vox grills.
The Cavalrymen were stunned and growing anxious as they thought the two golden giants were slow and dumb like their mountain trolls. To their horror, the giants were quite nimble and fast for their size as it was just a matter of time before the two opposing forces met.
The Imperial shock cavalry was armed with long heavy spears and thick shields with thick metal plates. Slowly, they aimed their spears at the giants and held their breath hoping one of their spears would be the deadly blow.
Before they collided, both Achillus Dreadnaughts raised their left fists and fired their Lastrum Storm Bolters at the horde. Rapid-fire bolter shells exploded dozens of horsemen including the Tribune before they had the chance to attack and rain chunks of meat to the ground. Horses would explode throwing the rider violently in the air and the huge carcass would violently stop causing the back riders to crash against it. Light cavalrymen desperately drew their bows and fired volleys of arrows at the dreadnought's chassis but the projectiles simply broke against their armour.
The two forces finally crashed against each other, but to the Saderan cavalrymen, it was like smacking against the wall. The charge lost momentum as the two giants withstood and began to swipe their massive spears in devastating wide arcs killing a dozen in a single blow. They were still sprinting as nothing dangerous was a big threat to stop them. They trampled horses and riders effortlessly and any unfortunate rider galloping in their path slammed against auramite metal which was the same force as a man driving a car into a tree. The Dreadnaughts slashed the humans effortlessly with their Dreadspears like a farmer using a sickle cutting long patch of grasses. The humans desperately tried to outflank these monsters and stab them in their joints or heads, but spears were made of simple steel and wood, which could never even scratch the auramite armour. One of the armored titans pointed his spear at the charging riders and unleashed a powerful laser from his built-in Corvae Las-Pulser on his spear. The powerful laser penetrated multiple horses and riders and turned both into ashes instantly. The horses near the laser shot would whine loudly and try to steer away from in fear despite their riders' protest. Some riders were willing to disengage and run as they knew attacking them was suicide. The other golden titan thrust his great spear into the horde of men skewering several riders and their mounts. Rather than pulling his great spear out, he fired his Corvae Las Pulser and the skewered riders evaporated in red light.
Despite the Achillus Dreadnaught's brutal success of stopping the massive charge, two were not enough to stop hundreds from galloping around them and still try to charge at the main Custodian forces. The Telemon would slowly walk towards his entombed brothers while firing volleys upon volleys of heavy lasers from his barrel cannon at the riders that were trying to outflank the dreadnaughts. Dozens of riders were turned to ashes from the Archanus storm cannon and in a matter of minutes those numbers would add up quickly.
The carnage was quite unsettling for the old Senator. In his whole military career, he had never seen so many men butchered down in such a short period of time. He gulped anxiously as he began to wonder what he should do next.
"Artillery, commence bombardment!"
None of his trebuchets fired a volley. A senior officer in charge of the trebuchets quickly ran towards his commanding officer.
"Sir, we cannot fire! Our cavalry is still in our line of fire. They will get crushed!"
Godasen then stared at his artillery officer. "Loose those boulders, officer, or we will all die."
"But…"
The officer gulped as he began to question the moral dilemma of his leader's orders. He then stared at the two Dreadnaughts still running toward the main army while throwing riders off of their horses like simple ragdolls.
"Artillery, commence bombardment!" The officer shouted.
The monsters near the trebuchets began to load another heavy rock into the sling.
"Loose!"
Another volley of rocks was thrown violently into the air and rained down on the two Dreadnaughts. Cavalrymen were getting crushed by their own trebuchet projectiles adding further confusion and the men began to route while the two mechanical war machines simply batted them away with their Dreadspears.
The Commander cursed loudly as the giants were still standing. He had no choice but to send his main army. There was no point in retreating. He swore to his Emperor and the Senators in the Imperial Capital to defend his homeland from invaders.
"All Troops advance!"
The horns rang loudly and the war drums were rhythmically beating to the beat of the legionaries march. For such a numerically superior army there was no new stratagem. They will simply charge at the golden warriors and hopefully overwhelm them. The earth began to rumble as thousands of feet were stomping against the earth marching towards Alnus Hill.
The Shield-Captain was continuing his observation and he was quite surprised the feudal army shot heavy boulders at their own men. He was becoming restless and he was sure his brothers were eager to deliver the Emperor's divine punishment as well. Seeing that the enemy was finally committing their entire army, it gave him the signal he needed to unleash the rest of the fabled Ten-Thousand.
He activated his comms. "Shield-Captain Zephyr, it is time. Neutralize their artillery."
Behind the wall of Custodians, there was a loud rumble growing louder and louder with each passing second. Above the armored titans, 21 Vertus Praetors flew out of the Gate in a wedge with Shield-Captain Zephyr in the lead. They all elegantly flew high in the air just beyond the ballistas' range. Once they were flying level, the Vertus Praetors broke off their tight wedge formation and flew in a loose wedge shape of a symmetrical V rather than a tight pyramid.
Mephistal then tapped the butt of his Castellan Axe on the Earth several times. The Custodian Guards all held their Guardian Spears in both hands and assumed a combat stance.
"No mercy."
"In His Name!" They all said in unison.
All the Custodes that stood by the Shield-Captain sprinted down on the hill, leaving the advantage of the high ground, and scattered in smaller groups to meet up against the enemy lines. The Telmon Dreadnaught remained near the Gate for he was the last bulwark the Saderna Legionaries had to face if they ever wanted to reenter Terra. Through the vox, the two Achillus Dreadnaughts were to split up and attack the army from the side.
Godasen saw these golden objects fly towards the sky at an incredible speed and quickly summoned his Dragoon to intercept them. All 1,500 Dragoons flew towards the golden riders with long lances.
The Custodians all aimed their interceptor lances at the large wyverns and the tip of their spears glowed in a bright blue shade. All Jetbike riders then unleashed their duel Hurricane bolters from the prow of their bikes. Unlike regular bolters, a hurricane bolter was a six-coaxial cannon in a single weapon mount. The sky thundered loudly as hundreds of bolt shells could be shot out in a matter of seconds. The first volley of rapid fire bolt shells decimated the Dragoons as the reptilian carcasses and pieces of the Dragoons rained down on the Imperial main army. Troops below scream in terror as chunks of large wyvern parts smacked against any unfortunate legionaries and crushed them. Their armor was painted red as blood and gore kept raining down.
The surviving Dragoon riders were dazed seeing so many of their comrades butchered in a matter of seconds. Before they could even consider flying away, the Vertus Praetors flew by and jousted them. No matter how fast the dragoons could turn away and try to outmaneuver their Golden foes, the Custodes were faster and rammed their interceptor lances deep in their mounts or into the rider's chest. In a matter of minutes, the entire Dragoon air force was decimated nearly to the last man. Those who flew away the moment the Golden Warriors fired their bolters had a chance to escape.
Once the Dragoons were decimated, the Vertus Praetors quickly returned to their loose wedge formation and flew towards the Trebuchets. Ballistas and archers desperately tried to shoot them down but the giant riders were nimble dodging many primitive projectiles. Any projectile that did manage to hit them simply bounced off of their armour. Soon, Shield Captain Zephyr pointed his lance at the trebuchets and he and his riders dove sharply towards the artillery pieces. The sound of their anti-gravity engines humming as the riders dove sharply gave off an eerie loud whistling noise that could turn anyone pale with fright. Just as it seemed they were going to crash on the Earth, they miraculously turned sharply and flew across the earth enduring tremendous amounts of g-force no mortal could ever survive. They then unleashed another burst of bolter fire and they quickly decimated the trebuchets within their path. In just one charge the mounted Custodians destroyed all of the trebuchets and they began to neutralize all the soldiers mounting the ballista.
Before the Imperial soldiers clashed against the Custodes, Taitus unleashed a barrage of missiles from his back-mounted Spiculus Bolt Cannon at the vast army. The missiles soared high in the air before raining down on the legionaries. The mortal men would scream in horror as the ground around them erupted in flame while the explosion blast waves would kill groups of men as they were thrown into the air like ragdolls before slamming on the floor like jelly.
Somehow Calasta survived the numerous missile barrages, but the explosions startled his horse and he violently landed on the earth. His body was trampled by numerous monster Auxilla as they all charged at the Dread Host. He tried to stand and run but his body was bruised badly as he may have cracked or broken his ribs. He whined loudly as he felt the gritty rocks rubbed against his breastplate which consequently vibrated his broken ribs.
The monsters he was assigned to lead all charged at the Custodian guard like a horde of greenskin orks. All kinds of monsters took part in the expedition from small goblins, fat pigmen, tan orcs, and Mountain trolls nearly the size of the Dreadnaughts. Ever since Godasen heard stories of giants in another world, he ordered dozens of Mountain trolls in his ranks. They were very unpredictable and they were required to be collared and chained whenever they were not in combat. They were extremely dumb and they do not know the difference between friend or foe. Despite the many drawbacks of using these creatures in an army, they were extremely useful berserk shock troopers with skin so thick arrows or swords are nearly impossible to penetrate.
The Auxilia lines finally met against the Dread Host and the battlefield rang loudly as nearly 300 guardian spears unleashed bolt shots at point-blank range. Monsters were being torn apart by bolt shells leaving holes the size of basketballs. Chunks of limbs, gore, and bones were violently thrown in every direction. Finally, once their Guardian Spears' magazines went dry they all charged into the disoriented monsters. The Custodes would strike down groups of fiends with multiple quick slashes in a span of a few seconds. No mortal could ever match the speed and ferocity of the Emperor's personal guards. No matter which angles a monster would attack, the warriors in gold seemed like they had insect compound eyes. They had no blindspot and they would instantly parry any attack before returning the favor. They were a golden blur thrusting their blade into an orc in a second before yanking their spear out and suddenly swinging it behind their back and bisecting a pigman in a blink of an eye. No matter how many monsters tried to throw themselves against one of the Custodes, the bodies around him piled higher and higher.
A small group of goblins would manage to climb one of the Golden guards while he was busy parrying an orc's broadsword before slamming the end of his Guardian Spear against his head. The goblins would grunt and whine loudly as they climbed on the titan's body while they tried to bite into the soft areas of his armour or use shivs to try to bring him down. The Custodian knew they were not a threat as he calmly sliced off a pigman's head off before grabbing a small goblin off of his hip, throwing it on the floor, and violently stomping on it. He would then twirl his spear blocking arrows from hitting him before returning the archer the favor with a bolt shell to the chest. He would then growl in annoyance feeling the goblins trying to crack his armour. He could hear the rattle of a shiv smacking against his conical helm. He managed to grab the goblin that was stabbing his helm by its head. The little goblin would screech and cry in pain as the armoured giant gripped its little head tightly. It would flail its arms and legs trying to desperately free itself. It would stare into the red eye slits with fear and pain before the Custodian crushed its head into pulp. He managed to grab the last goblin that was clinging on his pauldron, violently yanked it off of his armour, and threw it high in the sky before firing a bolt shell into it. The little body burst into tiny fleshy fragments as the Custodian continued to exterminate the Xenos.
The mountain trolls were finally unleashed in berserk rage as they swung their large clubs and violently threw their allies in their air killing them instantly. A new custodian twirled his spear around with bravado as he finally found a worthy challenge. He charged at the berserking troll while the lesser monsters were running away in fear. The troll roared while raising his club and swung the heavy weapon at the Custodian. The Golden Warrior simply leaped to the side as the heavy club smashed against the earth throwing dirt and dry sand in the air. The skilled warrior stabbed his great spear deep into the beast's stomach and slid the blade across its belly to the hip before pulling it out. The troll groaned loudly in pain as it felt the hot blade embed deep in its stomach and expose its innards. The warrior then sliced its ankle and stabbed through its knee forcing the large monster to kneel. Once the monster was on its knees in pain, the Custodian leaped into the air, planted his boots on the beast's back, and stabbed his spear into the troll's skull. The mountain troll dropped its great weapon before it slowly laid on its chest with a loud thud. The rest of the trolls all died similarly with great swordsmanship or a simple bolter through the skull. With the heavy shock troopers easily slain, the surviving few monsters threw their weapons and fearfully ran away.
"H-Help me!" Calasta groaned as his Auxillia ran past him. He kept on shouting for help over and over, but his wounded chest made it hard for him to shout for a long period of time.
The sound of the golden titans slicing meat and the cries of fallen monsters drowned out his voice. He hesitantly stared back and he screamed in horror to see the golden warriors approaching him. Knowing that it was impossible to flee, he found an orc body cut just below the torso and had it lay on top of his chest hoping none of the warriors would find him. He could hear their heavy boots crunching against bone and flesh as they all ran past him towards the main army. He shut his eyes tightly praying to the Gods for salvation as he heard a set of boots slowed down and eventually stopped near him. Through the gaps of the orc's body laying his chest, he could see a set of golden boots standing near him. He could feel his sweat build upon his forehead and he desperately tried to hold his breath. A Guardian Spear plunged into the dead orc's body and impaled through Calasta's chest. His body went limp and he began to spit up blood. The spear was then pulled out and the Custodian began to run once more. The little mortal wanted to pray, but his body became dead weight and his vision slowly darken. In the future, there will be tales of young Calasta, the coward who hid underneath a filthy orc to save his skin.
Despite the multiple missile barrages, the imperial army somehow still didn't break. It was through sheer discipline the army didn't run away in chaos once the bombs fell. They all assumed it was some sort of magic attack. Mages in battle were not uncommon and soldiers were trained to ignore massive casualties. Centurions tried their best to maintain order in the wavering army as several monsters tried to push through the legionaries and run towards the camps.
"Shield Wall!" The centurions barked loudly hearing the legion horns blew loudly. The legionaries locked their shield together and raised their spears creating a wall of spears and impenetrable shields. Men began to shiver in fear as their shaking spears kept banging against their shields. The sight of a mountain troll slaughtered so easily gave the men the conclusion that a single golden warrior was worth a thousand men.
"Steady men!" The centurion said to comfort his men. He couldn't blame them as he shamefully wet his tunic in fear.
The second the Custodians charged into shield walls, morale instantly broke. Men would throw their shields to the ground and their formation quickly broke down as men tried to run back. Bolter shots would penetrate wooden shields and explode in men's chest. Gore would splatter everywhere while bone fragments would embed into the nearest man. The men who were unfortunate to have bone fragments shot into their skin would scream in pain and throw their weapons in the air before cradling their wounds. Guardian Spears would slice through flesh with ease, break blades, and penetrate through wooden shields, while the Golden warriors would slaughter dozens of men with each passing second.
The entire army was now in a full route as all men threw their weapons and armor before trying to climb over the hill and headed towards the forest behind the camp. However, waiting above the hills were the Venator Praetors as they dived towards the fleeing soldiers and cut them down with their lances or with their hurricane bolters. The riders mounted on the jetbikes were the hammer while the Custodian guards butchering the mortals on the ground were the anvil as they sealed off the men from escaping. The two dreadnaughts covering on each side boxed the Saderan army with no chance of escaping.
Several legionaries would hastily strip all of their armour and clothes off before throwing themselves on the floor near a Custodian showing they had no desire to harm him. They were all weeping and clasped their hands in prayer.
"Mercy!" One cried out in fear
"We yield. Please, spare us!"
The giant would stare at these naked men crying in a foreign language as he slowly walked towards them. He planted his bloody spear into the soaking red soil and pulled out his Misericordia, an elegant jeweled knife, from his hip and decapitated the first man's head. The rest of the harmless humans all cried out in horror while scurrying backward in shocked disbelief.
"We are defenseless! For the love of the Gods we-" The golden executioner plunged the blade into the man's face silencing him before he pulled it out and quickly dispatched the rest of the defenseless men.
Through all of the chaos, Godasen was trying to bark orders to his routed army to hold their ground, but none listened. He was essentially the last officer in charge of the expedition as most were either butchered or attempted to flee. He was not surprised the minute the army broke that Mudra and Maio would flee in terror.
"Hold! Stand in the fight in the name of our Emperor!" He shouted as gripped the reins of his horse and urged his mount to gallop, hoping his voice could be heard through all of this chaos. He could hear the hurricane bolters decimate his men from the rear and he knew the chance rallying his army was growing impossible with each passing minute.
"Rally to me!" He shouted desperately as he galloped across the field while men ran past him.
"Rally to me!" he shouted once more but no one ever stopped. "Hold fast men! Fight!"
"Ra-" Suddenly, a bolter shell penetrated through his horse's rear and exploded, killing his mount instantly. The explosion threw him off of his horse and he landed on a pile of bodies. The landing was softer than the earth, but he quickly cried in horror as he realized he was coated in gore and blood.
He then sat on his knees and tried to calm down his racing heart. A man his age would get a heart attack if his heart didn't stop beating that fast. At the edge of his vision, he saw a gold blob in the distance. He hesitantly focused his eyes upon the blob and discovered a Custodian presenting his back to the old senator while he was impaling the backs of fleeing men.
He found a bow and a dead body holding a quiver with a few intact arrows inside. He quickly grabbed the bow and notched the arrow before drawing it. He aimed his shot at the golden monster's back. He began to utter a spell and the arrow glowed brightly in yellow light.
"Fall!" He grunted before releasing the arrow. The spell he cast imbued the tip of the arrow with explosion magic which would detonate on contact. For a man, at his age, his shot did not go true as it smacked into the Custodian's pauldron. It detonated and it threw the warrior nearly off-balance. It was unfortunate he was never a great mage unlike the magic castors in Rondel city as the damage he inflicted was mostly cosmetic. The pauldron was black with scorch marks and there were several shallow cracks in it.
The warrior quickly spun around and assumed a combat stance. He took this new threat seriously as he saw an old man drawing a wooden bow and whispering something softly before the arrow glowed brightly once more.
"A psyker." He growled
He gripped his guardian spear tightly and sprinted towards the old man with murderous intent. The old man aimed his bow and prayed to the god Emroy his shot would be true. He released the bow and the arrow flew in their air towards the sprinting Custodian. The warrior was faster as he dodged the arrows with heightened reflexes and it just barely hissed across the side of his helm. Godasen's arms would sink to the Earth, shocked that something so large would dodge an arrow at point-blank range to the face. He finally understood why his deserted men called them "The Golden Death". If you see one on the battlefield it is all over. The golden executioner snapped his blade at an angle before bisecting the old man from his collarbone to his hip. Blood would violently gush out before the two pieces of the man's body dropped to the floor.
100,000 soldiers were sent to conquer a world beyond the holy gate, but in an hour the entire army was slaughtered. Alnus hill was filled with dead bodies and chunks of flesh were scattered everywhere. The soil was drenched in so much blood the ground was turned bright red. The air smelled thick of death of voided bowels, the stench of blood, and punctured bellies as the local birds were drawn into the hills. Vultures were flying over the hills in a circle squawking loudly for the upcoming feast.
Shield-Captain Mefistal stood on the pile of corpses surveying the aftermath of the battle. He watched his armoury thralls armed with spears or swords kill any of the wounded crawlings underneath the dead. Some thralls were armed with flamers as they began to clear the field in a sea of fire. The Commander of the Dreadhost then began to receive multiple vox messages from his Custodians all telling him they had cleared killing stragglers that had run over the hills. He then received a new message from Shield-Captain Zephyr that he was currently pursuing a few preys that were heading towards the forest.
"Shield-Captain Zephyr, report." He commanded calmly
"I have two mounted quarries heading towards a forest. I am intercepting them now."
"You have gotten careless, Shield-Captain. I am quite surprised your prey managed to run this far away." He said in amusement. "All others have reported their kills. These must be the last survivors."
There was a pause in the vox as Zephyr tried to keep his emotions in check after hearing a berating comment from his superior.
"We will need a messenger to live and tell the tale the Imperium has come to claim this planet." Mephisto continued.
"You wish for these quarries to live?"
"You have misunderstood my remark. How many does it take to deliver a message?"
"Acknowledged."
Mudra and Maio were pushing their horses to gallop faster than they ever had before. Their mounts were grunting loudly in exhaustion as their riders kept smacking the mounts' rear to go faster. They managed to climb over the burning hills and rode towards Coan forest. Mudra was lagging behind Maio as drinking wine heavily slowed him down immensely.
"Dammit" Mudra grunting as he felt nauseous while his mount kept riding over rocky terrain
"Keep up if you want to live!" His companion shouted over his shoulder. "Once we reach the forest we should be safe."
The sound of a jetbike howling behind their backs was getting louder. The two men began to panic as they desperately urged their horses to gait faster as they were just near the edge of the forest. The golden warrior was now in sight as his thick, red cape fluttered violently behind his back. He lowered his long interceptor lance ready to joust his prey.
Maoi sighed with relief as he finally rode through the trees and safely entered the dark forest. Mudra could taste the sweet relief of freedom, but that dream was cut short when the tip of the interceptor lance ran through his back and burst out of his chest. He would scream in agony as the Golden rider pulled him off of his horse and raised his lance in the air. Mudra would cry loudly in pain as his body sank deeper on the lance. His blood would coat the shaft thickly making it difficult for him to grip it. He coughed up blood as he felt his muscles slowly relaxed before going completely limp. Zephyr then flicked his lance to the side of his jetbike and the body flew off and ragdolled across the dirt. With his task done he flew high in the air and returned to Alnus Hill for his next task. Deep in the forest, Maoi was shivering in fear with his eyes widened in terror as he heard his dear friend's agony. He was now hoping to reach the city of Italica for rest before reaching the Imperial Capital. He needed to clear his name that he was not a coward and warn the Empire that The Golden Death were coming.
