Warhammer: Age of Sigmar
The War of Blood and Fire
Chapter III
Captain Korgrak Fleshgild spat off the edge of the ship, Valaya's Pride, watching his spittle fall through the lofty clouds and descend faster and faster towards the bottom of the land below.
Korgrak wasn't sure why, but somehow it always gave him a slight bit of solace. Somehow just knowing that he was far above the worries and the concerns of the ground. Unlike his spittle, the duardin captain was not descending into the ground but soaring above the skies of Ghur, untouched by any of the recent madness going on in the world below.
"Oh, captain!" one of his men approached him.
Korgrak turned to him, stroking his well-groomed but short beard. Unlike his underground dwelling ancestors, Korgrak did not maintain an extremely long and flowing beard, but kept it well-trimmed and shaven, out of necessity for his occupation.
"Any news? Are we approaching Kurz Valka?"
The duardin nodded, "Aye sir. We'll be there in a day. I can almost see the smoke from here!"
"I can almost smell it..." Korgrak muttered under his breath. "Thank you, return to your post." The sailor did so.
He sighed, and then turned to look at the deck of his proud ship. The Fearless Wind was a simple Ironclad, steady enough for sailing along the aether-currents. Korgrak had only had her for a few years, but she had been dependable. He ran his hand across the wooden side of the ship, enjoying its forested aesthetic. Most Kharadron captains preferred strong hardy metal, but Korgrak always had an appreciation items and objects carved out of wood. There was something about the meticulous of it all, the carefully cutting and smoothing to form something, that was appealing to the duardin, rather than simply hammering stone until it was cut into precise shapes. He'd always had an interest in odd things.
Maybe that's how I ended up with this...cargo
He looked out onto the deck, where most of his crew was stationed and dutifully carrying out their jobs. Duardin young and old watching for rigging, checking valves and coordinates, eyeing the skyline, everyone was doing their job and well. But that was not was concerned Korgrak.
Most of them were below deck, but a couple of his passengers stood on the deck, apart from the crew who had no desire to interact with them. Korgrak could hardly blame them.
They were aelves, after all.
And more than that, they were one of those witch aelves, clad very thinly with long slender limbs and flowing hair that seemed impossibly long. Even for a duardin, Korgrak could grant that they looked beautiful, but it was the crazed look in their eyes, a silent fury barely restrained, like they could just holding back some tide of wrath.
The Daughters of Khaine were not to be trifled with. Korgrak had little experience with them, but he knew plenty of stories, their insane desire for blood in the name of some dead god, their lust for battle and warfare, and rumors by older captains who whispered about queer things and strange monsters that they gave birth to. Kograk though to some of the things underneath the ship's deck, and his skin crawled. Even the aelves that stood on the deck were unnerving, mad eyes, their faces and bodies barely covered. All across their skin long curved tatoos marked them, and Korgrak could have sworn that those red lines looked almost like scars that had been covered over.
Only a few were actually on deck of the massive krontanker, standing nearly still and eerily staring forward. Somehow they did not make a fuss about the cold air, the wind whipping past them as the skyship cut through the air. The Kharadron were used to such chilly and thin air, and the Arkanaut armor provided both protection and fresh air for the duardin, keeping them safe from the high altitudes and heavy pressure. The aelves did not have such protection, but stoicily endured the thin air and cold, although he could tell they were straining themselves. Creepy and concerning, the Daughters of Khaine.
At the very least he was being paid very handsomely, more than he'd ever before in his entire career. How or even why these zealots had that much money, he didn't want to know, but the situation itself was all very strange. He could still recall several weeks ago the proposition, and at first he had wanted to refuse. There were plenty of other clients and jobs he could have taken up on, rather than deal with these unnerving females. But the money was there, and no good Kharadon durardin would refuse it.
One of the aelves turned to look at him, red lines covering her face and body, painted carefully and painstakingly. She looked softly at him, locking eyes, before giving a slight smile with no warmth. Her smile looked like some deadly serpent trying to calm down its prey. Korgrak merely bit his lip, and looked away, towards the horizon, and at the nearby Kharadon ships close to his own Ironclad, carrying other aelves. ?
It wasn't just the Daughters of Khaine, it was the destination and job itself worrying his mind. Transporting some aelves of terrifying nature was one thing, but to head to Kurz Valka, of all place! The Fyreslayers there might be of the same race as Korgrak, but the difference between the two was vast. Whereas his people had evolved and changed, taken to the skies to survive the ravages of Chaos, the Fyreslayers delved ever deeper, zealots and murderous like the aelves in their own way. The fiery lava-dwellers did not see well with their sky-born cousins, and few Kharadron had ever successfully engaged with trade or interactions of any kind with them.
And Korgrak was sailing straight towards them.
Just get in and get out. Drop of those blasted aelves and be done with it all.
If they wanted to deal with those madmen under the ground, that was there business, even if it was still perplexing. What did the Daughters of Khaine of Khai Refag want in the volcanic lands of Kurz Valka? And why the rush as well? Korgrak could remember the hastiness present among the aelves when he descend into Khai Refag, the eagerness they paid him to get to their destination. They kept on pushing his crew to get there faster and faster, like it was some urgent request by Khaine himself!
One of the priestesses approached him, long hair flowing from her sides.
"Captain," she bowed dramatically.
"Ah-hem, Yes? What do ya need?"
"Nothing for myself, but my sisters have wondered how soon we will be approaching out destination."
Korgrak sighed, not wishing to deal with this again, "Soon enough. You see that smoke far in the horizon?"
The aelf nodded, "We have noticed it for some time now, but we would still like to know precisely when we will arrive. My sisters are...anxious."
Them and me.
"Ah, less than a day," Korgrak said, not giving away what he was thinking, "If all goes well. Don't you worry, we'll get your there soon enough."
The aelf did not make any expression for a long time, staring down at the dwarf, before finally giving a slight smile and bowing again, "Thank you captain. We hope you take any action necessary to get us there as soon as possible."
They turned away and walked off, leaving Korgrak queasy.
He turned and spat.
The day was soon passed for the Kharadron aboard Valaya's Pride, and the fiery volcanoes of Kurz Valka came into close view. Even from his vantage high above, Korgrak could almost feel the temperature begin to warm, smell the brimstone smoke, and taste ashes on his tongue.
He over the side of his ship, truly impressed by the land before him.
Kurz Valka was terrifying, stretching far across the land like a smoldering scab onto the earth of the Broken Continent. Thick rock built over millennia glowed with molten activity. Lava and rivers of flowing molten rock oozed from the ground like streams of blood, flowing down onto the flat plains. Nearing the tectonically active region, Korgrak could see more clearly the active volcanoes, spurts of molten rock erupting from their summits. Thankfully, there were many erupting with tremendous fury, and Korgrak ordered his crew to stay well out of range from any dangerous projectiles.
It was relatively easy to navigate and avoid any dangers, but Korgrak was still worried about entering into the volcanic region. Why would the aelves even go in this godsforsaken landscape?
The captain shook his head, acknowledging that he was just doing this as a job, and if they wanted to roast alive, that was their business.
It took several more minutes, but the Kharadron airship was soon close to the smoldering mountain range. Smoke belched upward, and the entire crew felt their skin warm and sweat drip down as the temperature increased dramatically. Wearing their arkanaut armor did offer a good deal of protection, but Korgrak did not hope to get any closer than he had to.
Korgrak wiped his brow, and stared down onto the chocking pile of rock and lava. He directed the crew to slowly ease their way closer towards the red mountain range. The great Kharadron ship dipped lower, slowly descending closer and closer towards the various volcanoes, many red from the molten rock, but all thankfully appearing calm. Despite this, strong smoke still chocked the air, and Korgrak directed his ship carefully to avoid it as much as possible.
As the ship made its waits forward, a single crewman approached Captain Korgrak. He was a simple crewman, but Korgrak recognized him as Brokkir Thorgrimson, a respected and capable worker who had a good reputation among the rest of the workers.
"Err, captain?" he asked hesitantly.
Korgrak turned and looked at him, "Yes? Do you need something?"
"Well...if you don't mind captain.."
"What is it?" Korgrak asked simply. He wanted a simple straight question so he could move on to other things.
"Well, I've been wondering, Captain, where exactly are we to land?" asked Brokkir, "I mean, well, the Fyreslayers are not known to be quite...open with traders, and they prefer the depths of their mountains. What place is there for us to stop, especially with the active volcanoes?"
That had been one of Korgrak's own concerns when he had first heard of the contract. He'd never heard of any Kharadron who had actually done any trading, or even interacted to a large degree, with the Fyreslayers. But he gave Brokkir a response.
"Well, there happens to be one spot. The mountains might be hot and wild, but not all of them are erupting all the time. There's supposed to be one major entrance, or a cave of some kind, that leads further into it the depths. It is around him somewhere, just need to keep an open eye."
Korgrak didn't tell him that the Khainite aelves had been the one to inform him of such a location, even though Korgrak had heard some rumors about such a location. Why a bunch of mad blood-seeking aelves would know such a detail was concerning to the Kharadron captain, but he ignored it. So long as he and his men were paid, he would be satisfied.
"I see," said Brokkir, sounding still a little hesitant.
To bolster his confidence, and, by virtue of Brokkir's connections, the rest of the crew, Korgrak said, "Well, ultimately we simply have to keep a sharp eye out for any dangerous and bubbling caldera, and those are easy to miss. The aelves have paid us to get them there, not to deliver them in armor up front to the Fyreslayers. Now keep a sharp eye out,"
Brokkir gave an affirmative "Eye sir."
"We will be brought where we must, in Khaine's name. My sisters and I are called for battle and blood. It awaits us there."
A cold and hissing voice raked the duardin's ears, and both turned to see who had spoken. It was one of the Daughters of Khaine, who has suddenly appeared right next to Korgrak. He nearly jumped back in surprise, not hearing the aelf at all.
Valaya's braids! Where did she come from?
Brokkir regained his composure and replied, "And what exactly are you going to fight here? Nothing but rock and fire in this entire Grimnir-blessed range!"
"That is of no concern of yours, duardin. But the way towards our destination is forward. We are coming closer to our destiny."
"Close to what?" Brokkir said indignantly, "There is nothing but more volcanoes right there, and underneath them all some blasted crazy Grimnir-frothing berserkers!"
The aelf turned and looked sternly at him, her eyes unblinking.
Korgrak opened his mouth to interject and quickly calm the situation down. It was then, however, that someone shouted out "There it is! The opening!"
Korgrak dashed to the side of the ship and pulled out his telescope, trying to see what the crew was suddenly pointing at. Looking out, he chuckled as he found what must have been the spot where they were to drop of the aelves.
It was situated on a the side of one sooty mountain, which did not look particularly active. A small flat valley marked the location, with a wide open cavern standing at the end. Even from this distance, Korgrak could see at least one great statue carved by the Fyreslayers, and he knew that there were likely to be more carvings and writings that marked this as an opening claimed by the followers of Grimnir.
"Well,"Korgrak chuckled, "There is our destination, Brokkir. And your's aelf."
"Yes," she said coldly, "It is...I shall inform my sisters."
She promptly disappeared downward, flittering towards the bottom decks of the ship.
Korgrak gave out some orders to make their way towards the cavern, the ship starting a gradual descent. The captain let out a deep breath and nodded to himself.
Finally, nearly over. Easy money now. Drop the aelves off, and leave them to their own fate and get paid. Don't even have to come pick them up!
Still beaming, it was then that he heard a thunderous roar.
The bellow echoed across the sky like a jagged scream, and Korgrak stopped, as did the rest of the crew, looking around.
Then it rang out again, and Korgrak prayed it was only the typical rumble of the volcanoes.
His hopes were immediately dashed when he saw a great shadow approach them, and the color drained away from his face.
"Dragons!" someone shouted, and the entire crew cried out as the skyvessel was rocked back upon impact of the serpentine creature! Korgrak tumbled forward, as did Brokkir, the aelf, and everyone around him. Korgrak quickly pushed himself up, glancing up at the dragon that was clawed onto the side of his ship.
The monster roared and Korgrak was better able to look at it, its claws racking into the sides of the ship. The dragon was hideous, its body long and serpentine but starved as well, with gangly arms and claws reaching forward. It roared out with snapping jaws, filled with rows of jagged teeth and caustic saliva. It reared its head and spit out smelling gouts of a strange substance upon the nearest unfortunate duardin, who despite his armor screamed out in pain, falling down on the ground.
"Battle stations! All hands, now!" Korgrak roared, whipping out his three-barelled volley pistol and aimed for its head, fired two successive shots. They both hit the dragon on the head, but it snarled in anger, and roaring flew off.
Korgrak turned to the screaming crewmember, who was convulsing on the ground, crying out as his armor cracked and his skin bulged, thorns and protrusions erupting out of his body. In seconds the screaming duardin was reshaped into a grotesque configuration of his former self, before finally collapsing.
"Warpfire," Korgrak breathed out, then shifting into shouting out like a true Kharadron captain, "Warpfire! Stay away from its flames! All hands-on deck!"
Moving into full captain mode, he bellowed out orders while refilling his pistol, looking out to the skies for any sign of the monster. He had heard tales of twisted creatures such as these, known as warpfire dragons. The touch of Chaos had turned them into spite-filled and ruinous creatures, breathing gouts of mutilating warpfire the twisted its victims into hideous mutant monsters.
They can fly and attack with their twisted, barbed claws and snapping jaws, filled with rows of jagged teeth and caustic saliva. They are spite-filled and ruinous creatures that delight in the destruction and mutilation of their foes, specially when they spit gouts of mutilating warpfire, scintillating flames that cause rapid and grotesque mutations in those it touch, reshaping their victims in grotesque configurations of their former selves until they die. When they die the burning morass of ruinous energies that seethes within them explodes in a raging blast of anarchic energy and unleashed fire that reduces their foes to mounds of malformed flesh and scorches the land.
Curse Grungi, why are there always complications in this blasted contracts! Why are there dragons here?!
He didn't have time to contemplate such thoughts, however, instead focused completely on the attacking horde.
"Bergljarak" Korgrak shouted to his endrinmaster, "Get the men in line and armed immediately! Far-range missiles, cannons, anything that will blast that beast out of the sky!"
"Aye captain!" Bergljarak, a hoisting up a massive mechanical wrench, nodded his head, and the the heavily armored combat mechanic quickly rallied his endrinriggers to his side.
The shadow spread across the ship again, and Korgrak shouted to open fire. The warpfire dragon was too devilishly quick, flying at great speed and slamming into the side of the ship once more. It opened its mouth and spewed out warpfire, dousing hapless duardin. They wailed in agony as the mutating effect twisted their bodies, metal piercing and wrapping around their corpses as they burned away.
This time, the crew members were armed, and instantly fired back, several shots riveting into the dragon's scales as it screeched in agony.
Korgrak was never so glad to here a dragon roar, until he heard another distinctive one coming from the side, barreling towards Valaya's Pride. He could see clearly another dragon moving fast towards the ship, and atop it was...a rider?
"Second dragon, coming fast!" he shouted out, "Blast it down with the cannons, quick!"
While part of the crew battled with the dragon latched onto the ship, several other duardin quickly pulled over and loaded one of the ship's carbine batteries, aiming for the moving monster.
Korgrak gripped the ship's wheel tightly, watching with baited breath as they took aim and fired.
The shot was straight but missed the body of the dragon, instead plowing straight through its wings, but otherwise living it unharmed.
As it approached Korgrak saw that the unlike the other dragon, this one was scarred with ritual cutting, runes etched in blood across its body and atop it rode a heavily armored warrior, his armor spiked and jagged.
This is a directed attack! He realized with a start, just as the warpfire dragon jumped onto the top of the ship, breathing warpfire onto the deck below!
Korgrak jumped out of the way, avoiding the blazing warpfire, but could see now that several parts of his ship were in mutating flames, dead bodies of mutated duardin strewn across the ship. The first warpfire dragon had been driven off, but Korgrak could see that it was circling back.
He looked back up at the dragon and its ridder. Instead of focusing on the rest of the deck, it had turned its attention towards the endrinsphere, tearing into the aether-gold capsule keeping the ship afloat.
"They're trying to cut it out and drop us!" one of the crewmen shouted. If the endrinsphere was destroyed, than the condensed aether-gold would be released and the skyvessel would plop onto the ground like falling fruit, crashing upon impact.
"Not my ship, not while I breath and fight!" Korgrak shouted back, aimed with his pistol, "Aim for the rider, but don't hit the capsules!"
He fired several shots, and was followed by several others as well, ripping into the warpfire dragon which was greedily cutting into the top orbs of the ship like a starving child.
One managed to hit it right in the eye, just as its claws raked into one of the smaller endrinspheres! The ship suddenly dipped, and everyone was knocked to their feet just as the dragon took off in pain.
Korgrak jumped back into the fray, grabbing the main wheel and beginning a slow descend. He could hear the air leaking out of the endrinsphere and knew that a slow drop was the best chance.
"Someone get onto volley cannon and blast those Chaos-fiends the second they return!" he shouted, and one of the remaining crew members immediately did so.
The aethermatic volley cannon was held at the front of the ship, and crewman jumped into it, loading it up and scanning the skies.
Korgrak grabbed a telescope and looked out towards the fires of Kurz Valka, eyeing the opening into the caverns below.
"Come on, come on, come on, come on!"
"Here they come again!" came a cry, and Korgrak looked up to see both dragons returning for the strike.
One of them was flying straight towards the head of the ship, straight towards the volley gun.
"Open up dragon and eat this!" the crewman shouted, opening fire onto the monster. Bolt after bolt ripped through the air and slammed into the dragon, heavily damaging it but it still flew forward, despite the heavy cost. At the helm of the ship the volley gun tore through its scales and wings, the warpfire dragon roaring in pain but with great gusto it opened wide its mouth and tore right into the duardin manning the guns, it's body cracking into the front of the ship.
It roared in pain again, and the duardin ripped into in instantly, pistols and cannons firing into the dragon. Already battered, its scales tore apart as its neck burst apart by aethermatic gunfire, agonizing and whipping its head around, slamming into the deck. Finally, it dropped, dead.
The crew gave out a collective sigh of relief, but suddenly stood back as the green warpfire within the dragon's chest began to glow, the dragon's body began to bulge and twist.
"Get back!" someone shouted, but it was too late, as the burning morass of ruinous energies that seethed within the dragon exploded, a raging blast of anarchic energy unleashing putrid fire and destroyed the very front of the ironclad, ripping apart dragon, durardin, and the ship itself!
Korgrak was knocked back, but luckily avoided the main brush of the mutating flames, but looked up in horror. The front of the deck was littered mounds of malformed flesh and scorched by warpfire. Valaya's Pride was heavily damaged and began to dip, even further, the wheel of the shipped unmanned.
The ship began to dip, the destroyed portion of its prow lowering towards the volcanic landscape at the bottom.
Korgrak looked down and realized the ship was slipping closer to earth, and jumped forward, stepping over dead bodies of his fallen crew to grab onto the scorched wheel, trying to keep it steady. The ship was going down and there was nothing to be down about that, but it could still be direct. With his armored hands gripping the wheel tightly, he pointed the sinking ship towards the open cavern carved by the Fyreslayers. If they could make it there they might be able to make it into the tunnels and find safety!
His hopes diminished greatly, however, when he heard the roar of the second dragon and saw it flying straight for them to finish off the ship.
"All hands, aim for that Chaos-cursed dragon and KILL IT!" he shouted.
They barely had any chance to do so, as the dragon an it's rider slammed into the side of the ship and breathed another spat of warpfire onto the crew, while Korgrak held the ship on its course. While not a religious duardin, he gave a quick prayer to Grungi and his ancestors, that they might welcome him into their halls.
Suddenly, however, he heard another sharp, piercing voice through the roar of the conflict.
"Come, sisters and daughters and take this offering to Khaine!"
Korgrak was suddenly aware of a large number of aelves, the very cargo he was transporting. They jumped out of nowhere, and suddenly dozens of lightly-clad aelves holding vicious daggers and blades appeared all around him.
Where did they come from?
He had no answer, but stared in shock as dozens of witch aelves, their lithe bodies cut with red lines and scars, hair flowing as they pulled out arrays of sharp daggers and jumped forward towards the warpfire dragon.
More and more burst ouf of the lower hold, gracefully dodging the warpfire flames and cutting skillfully under its scales, twisting out of the way of its claws and snapping jaws. One jabbed its hand while another swung over and cut into its eyes, causing the monster to roar back in back and swing around in agony. It's rider roared back and jumped off the dragon, bringing his heavy sword down on one of the unfortunate Daughters of Khaine, and unleashing a berzerking scream.
He looked straight at Korgrak, recognizing that the duardin was holding the ship in place, and charged right towards him! Korgrak reached down for his pistol, but found he had dropped it during the entire conflict, and looked back in horror as the Khornate warrior raised his massive blade to cut him down and doom the crew and ship.
Without warning the red-armored warrior ripped aside by a screeching figure, pulled to up to the edge of the deck. Korgrak watched as a figure with leathery wings and tail tore into the warrior, bringing down a large and curved blade. Korgrak only saw blood spew out and the figure turned back to look at Korgrak. She was an aelf, like the rest, but possessed two large wings on her back, jagged and leathery, and armed with a pointed shield and curved weaponry, holding the severed head of the warrior in her hand, her face splattered with blood.
At the same time, dozens of similar-looking aelves flew out from the hold, their wings propelling them around the dragon as they swarmed it like bees. Their wicked blades cut incision after incision into its scaley skin, exploiting the dragon's natural weak spots. The aelves showed no mercy, a look of ecstatic pleasure on their faces as they cut the warpfire dragon apart piece by piece.
The ship was nearing the open mouth of the cavern, and Korgrak focused on keeping it steady and afloat as it descended quickly towards the ground. It would be a rough landing, but perhaps if he was careful he could keep it from tearing apart.
He turned back briefly to look at the battle between the dragon and the aelves, and it was covered in dozens of wounds, dripping greenish blood tainted by foul magic. Bodies of dead aelves were strewn around it, but it was clearly losing the fight. It suddenly reared back its head to breathe back a massive stream of mutating warpfire, directly in line with Korgrak.
Thinking quickly, he flipped the wheel, and the entire airship tilted. Valaya's Pride moved over with the dragon on its side, slamming into the side of the black-covered wall. The dragon was smashed against it and roared as rock and stone scrapped against it, tearing its wings and body apart!
While heavily damaging the ship, it had its intended effect, and the dragon began to slump off the side of ironclad.
Korgrak had barely any time to tip the ship back into place as they were feet above the ground, before a massive explosion rocked the back of the ship, the final death of the dragon obliterating the backside of ironclad! Korgrak lost all control and was pushed forward as the ship finally smashed into the ground, metal and wood cracking and bending as it slid forward into the open mouth of the carved chamber.
Korgrak coughed, his head feeling exceptionally heavy. He shook himself from his stupor, and carefully began to move. When the ship had crashed onto the ground, he had been launched forward, covered now in dust, pieces of wood, and metal scraps, but nothing too heavy or damaging. He shook his sore muscles and stepped up from the wreckage, praying to Grungi, Sigmar, and any god who would listen that his ship was still in one piece.
It wasn't.
In fact, looking from the remains of the deck, the Korgrak could see that his ship was in dozens, if not hundreds, of pieces. The main section was still in one rough piece, but the massive krontanker was torn open by the death-explosions of the dragons and the crash. There were little scraps of wood and shrapnel littered across the volcanic ground, and huge chunks of the front part of the ship had been blown apart, scattered across the ground.
Korgrak's heart sank as he gazed over the wreckage of his ship. He felt both a pang of sadness for all the work and effort the had put into outfitting it, and anger at those who had destroyed his beauty.
There were a few fires and sounds of crashing metal, but otherwise the rest of the ship was still together, but great gashes on its sides betrayed the truth. Korgrak wanted to lie to himself, to tell himself that there was still something salvageable and that his ship could fly once again. But his years of flying and intimate understanding of his vessel made him instantly aware of the stark truth: Valaya's Pride was grounded, permanently.
Korgrak moved various heavy pieces of metal away, starting to clear a path.
"Attention!" he shouted out, "Can any here me? This is Captain Korgrak! Shout your positions!"
His voice bellowed and instantly various duardin shouted back.
"Here captain!"
"Ha, still alive!"
"Captain Korgrak? Thanks the ancestors!"
Korgrak quickly made his way across the broken deck of the ship, stopping next to one duardin who was stuck underneath some beams of iron.
"Quickly, someone help me here!" he shouted. He could now see dozens of shapes, duardin sailors in various positions across the broken deck of the ship, and others had been thrown by the sudden impact, their bodies dashing against the volcanic groud and torn apart. Korgrak grimaced at the thought of his men lost, but focused on the duardin pinned by his side.
His shout had called over several crewmen, who quickly came to his side.
"When I say, lift!" he commanded them. They looked at him with hard but listening faces, nodding in agreement.
"Ready? Lift!"
Korgrak and his men pulled up with all their strength, the might of the duardin race displayed as they carefully hefted up the pieces of metal. Another crewman pulled the pinned duardin, who groaned in pain.
The duardin hefted and dropped the metal once their comrade was safely removed.
Korgrak left out a long-held breathe. He looked around to see that his men were waiting on him, expectantly.
"Thoradin?" Korgrak barked, asking for his second-in-command. Thoradin had served alongside him for years, and possessed a keen eye for detail. His groomed brown beard was torn and tussled, and he looked bruised across his face.
He was greatly pleased when he got a response, and Thoradin marched up to him.
"Here captain."
"Good, good. Thoradin, I need you to take a group of men and head below deck. Take the endrinrigger with you, and see how bad the damage is. Scavenge for anything. I will take the rest and start to clean out the top."
Thoradin nodded, and quickly shouted out to several men to follow him.
With his second mate leaving, Korgrak shouted to the rest of the Kharadron who had gathered around their captain.
"All you men, listen up! Gather anything you can salvage, essentials first! We will set up a temporary base..."
Korgrak looked for a good spot. He pointed towards a large rock jutting out next to the great open mouth that led deeper into the volcanoes.
" - there! We will set up on that spot. Yell if someone is wounded. Move!"
The duardin reacted quickly, used to the barking orders of their superior. Korgrak would have been pleased with how easily his men had responded well to the accident, hauling supplies, helping up crewmen and carrying the wounded, if it hadn't meant that his ship was most certainly destroyed.
Korgrak moved to the side of ship, where a gangway was quickly propped up and allowed for access to the ground. With a moment to think, all the thoughts he had been pushing down came flooding into his head. Namely his fears. His ship was devastated, and while his crew seemed largely intact, they were stuck on a volcanic mountain range, far from any Kharadron port or city, and with no easy path back.
He strode over to where there was a movement in the ship, watching his men pass by, gruntling like mindless servants. But he knew what they were worried about in the back of their minds, what they all were worrying about. Even if they did return to some Kharadron port, to safety, what about the expenses for the ship? Valaya's Pride was a large tanker, and its loss would undoubtedly be very costly. Korgrak thought of his wife and young son. Would they even have a future with the debts he, as captain, would be expected to pay?
The duardin shook such thoughts from his head. He could be distracted at this moment, and more importantly, he couldn't let his men start to think about. Action, movement, that was needed, blind work to keep them busy from such thoughts.
Several shouts banging noises called him to the side of the ship, where its massive metal hulk was ripped open an exposed, like a wound ripped and pulled open.
Korgrak maneuvered his way over, to see what was going on. Several banging sounds rang out as several creatures emerged out of the wound to the shock of the duardin who had gathered to see what was coming out.
Korgrak had nearly forgotten about his cargo and who was paying for this entire venture, but was swiftly reminded as dozens of aelves emerged. Many had been stored below, and Korgrak could only wonder how many had survived the crash. Those who emerged were bloodied and bruised, their barely-clothed white skin bleached with red blood. But Korgrak gasped at the other creatures that emerged, half-aelves that slithered through broken metal and tubes, their lower bodies composed of scaley tails. Towering over them was a tall creature, green in color, with a writhing coil of serpents for hair. Her tail was long and slender, but broke apart into several gnashing serpents, glaring venomous eyes staring down at them.
"By the ancestors!" one duardin said in shock.
"What in the realms is that monster?" shouted another, and crewmen bristled, some pulling out crude weapons.
Korgrak himself felt his hands fingering for the pistol at his side, but he stepped forward, closely watching what the Khainites were going to do.
"Captain Korgrak" the serpentine creature hissed. Her voice sounded aged and cracked with a sharp edge to its tone.
Korgrak stiffened up and said, "I am the captain."
"I am matriarch Skhara, the Bloodgiver, who speaks for this war coven of Khaine. I see that we have had an unfortunate...accident."
"Yes," Korgrak said, shivering from her hissing voice, "Unfortunately so. My men and I are taking care of things for now. How many of your...fellow aelves, have been wounded?"
"Too many not in battle, but they have all died in service to Khaine and the oracle. I will gather those who have survived."
"That is...good. We will be setting up a camp over there."
Korgrak pointed. One of the Kharadon said, "I'm not setting up next to these monstrosities!"
The Daughters of Khaine hissed and snarled at that, but Korgrak turned and snapped at the duardin who had spoken.
"You will listen to your captain and speak when it is your turn!"
The medusae calmed her sisters and said, "We thank you, captain, for delivering us, but we will ensure to keep our distance."
Korgrak nodded, and then shouted for his men to get back to work. He marched away, glad to leave the aelves all behind.
"Give me it to be hard and true, Bergljarak." Korgrak said to his aid, "Although I doubt you have anything good to say."
"Aye, there is all only troubling news. I'm sorry to say cap'n, but she be flying again."
The duardin captain looked out from the makeshift tent they had constructed and out onto his ship laying on the ground in front of him. he massive holes in the hull and fallen spheres that held her aloft were broken upon the ground.
"Yes, I could have figured. How extensive is the damage?"
Bergljarak glanced over the various notes and logs he held on himself, and began muttering them off one-by-one.
"Firstly, the attack was centered upon the sides of the Pride. Several major punctures were made, two notably on the port and starboard side. These led to the loss of several components of supplies. Secondly, the central mast and the aether-containing orb has been heavily damaged. We're lucky it didn't blow, minus the smaller one, but I did detect no less than three leaks. I've already done my best to repair them, but there is already a significant amount of aether-gold lost. Worst of all has been the damage to the very hull itself. Smashing into the ground has torn up the bottom of the ship, bent the metal all out of proportion, and damaged several of the critical parts of the engines. It's like the Changeling Lord came in and warped the metals into some twisted cacophony of madness, all warped and torn apart. I'm sorry captain, but it is completely unsalvageable."
Korgrak grumbled with disappointment, although he was expecting something like this. He turned to Thoradin.
"How about supplies? What were you able to salvage?"
Thoradin, who had taken off his arkanaut mask, scratched his beard and said, "We have about a month's supply for food, although water will be a bit difficult to gather, more if we ration. Much of the supplies that we had in the hold were crushed, but we were able to gather a lot of ammunitions and weapons, enough to outfit every crewman with plenty of aether-shot. Otherwise, not much else, a few other miscellaneous pieces, but we've already deposited most of the load in the last drop. Most of the storage space had been taken up by the...passengers."
The Pride had successfully dropped off most the load in Vanderhal during a trading run, which had been moderately successful, but that was when Korgrak had been approached by the Khainites and offered a very handsome pay to simply deliver them to Kuz Valka. The duardin all looked over to the spot where the Daughters of Khaine war coven was perched, set apart from the rest of the duardin. Most of the Kharadon watched them wearily, so the aelves, wisely, kept their distance.
Korgrak turned back and asked, "And what about casualties?"
"The last count had 11 lost, either from the attack or the crash landing."
Korgrak sighed and shook his head. But he could not dwell too long that and let it bring him down. He needed to command and give orders in the here and now.
"Strip the dead for any valuables, particularly their armor and make sure that is redistributed. We will have a burial ceremony later with the rest of the men."
"Is that wise?" asked Bergljarak, "Might make the crew a little...morbid about the situation."
"We're in a morbid situation, Jarak. Besides, it is not profitable to have an unmotivated crew."
Korgrak spent a minute to think, pondering over the situation. He gazed over his ship, the aelves, his crew, and the temporary camp of supplies and chunks of metal being constructed around him.
"Well then," he finally said, "This is our situation. The Pride is currently unable to fly, and we are hundreds of miles from a nearby sky-port or station of any kind. We do not have any method to signal for help. And we are currently stranded in an active volcanoes, home to a rabid group of Grimnir-loving race of zealots."
"We do, however, a supplies to last for period of time, and most of the crew are alive and well," interjected Thoradin.
Korgrak gave him a hard look for interrupting but acknowledged what he said as true.
"That is true, but it still doesn't change the facts that we have few options. We can hunker down here for a short period of time, but we have no access to natural resources, not in this Grimnir-blessed landscape. *Sigh* Nothing to eat here but blasted rocks."
He kicked the hard stone under his feet.
Bergljarak offered and idea and said, "We do have a few endrinriggers left, and parts of a gunhauler. Using the aether-gold we have left, we could pile them together for a longer trip and sent an expedition crew off."
Korgrak mused on the idea. "Not a bad idea...But where to send such a party?"
"The humans live close to the mountains to the west."
"Yes, but they're primitive, even by human standards. I doubt any of them even knows what a rifle is, and even if they helped they would be able to return or retrieve us. Hmm, I wouldn't send any to Khai Refag, although perhaps Fort Alba?"
"Our kin do have some trade there, and they have better resources," said Bergljarak, "Although what would the cost be for any captain to rescue us? That alone could put all of us into debt."
"I'd prefer Vanderhal. At least that's a proper city with a proper trading center, but that is certainly too far. The question is, do we even have enough aether-gold to reach Fort Alba? It is not a short distance to cross."
Bergljarak stood up. "We could make it, although it would be a long and treacherous trip. But I know I and my men could rig something that would do the trick."
Korgrak didn't doubt him. He'd seen Bergljarak achieve incredible things in their years or working together, but it was not that which worried him.
"Yes, the trip would be dangerous, and that is what worries me. The Pride is not the most armored craft, but it - was - a large and sturdy ship and we were attacked. It would be only by great fortune if a small craft managed to reach Alba without any incident. They would an easy prey for anything lurking in the skies."
"And even if the craft did make it, who knows who soon a rescue expedition could, or even would be launched," Thoradin noted, stroking his beard with an increasing furver. "If I may, captain, I don't like this option. Too risky and dangerous to ask one or two men to save us from starvation or worse."
Korgrak nodded. "I don't like it either, but we have no other options available. We have no ship, few supplies, and no way to survive in our current location. The only way any of us can survive this is by send out some rescue plea."
"Or you can face the darkness below."
A soft and silverly voice spoke out. The duardin all looked up.
A single aelf was standing before them, one of the Khainites.
"Forgive the intrusion," she bowed, although to the duardin it seemed she did so with in a mocking manner, "but our Bloodgiver wishes to speak with you about the next course of action."
"Next course of action?" snorted Bergljarak, "That's what we've been discussing already!"
"Yes, and you ignore the possibility which is right in front of you."
The serpentine medusae spoke, slithering in front of the duardin commanders. Korgrak could see more clearly her exact form, the colony of snakes that made up her hair, the her long tail which wrapped and wound around itself. Her left arm was covered in a heavy metal gauntlet with razor-sharp claws in the place of fingers. In her right hand she held a large pointed spear, the metal around the spear-hard molded into an ornate design.
Her presence caused Thoradin, Bergljarak, and Korgrak to grow uncomfortable, and the rest of the Kharadon crewmen began to gather around, some twitching for their weapons.
"What are you talking about?" Korgrak asked, "What other option?"
The Khainite Skhara pointed with her spear towards the opening into the mountains, leading further into the deep catacombs of Kurz Valka.
"Our salvation awaits there. That is where we must go."
"You want us to head...down? Into Kurz Valka?" said Thoradin. "Are you mad?"
Skhara cocked her head and said, "You have kin there, do you not? Far better to seek them out then risk all on the hands of a few."
"Kin? Ha!" said Korgrak, "Those zealots might be the same race as us, and be children of the same gods, but they are not our kin. We were not given sanctuary when Chaos destroyed our holds and forced us to ascend to the skies. Why would the Fyreslayers offer us sanctuary now?"
"It is not they who will be offering sanctuary, but it will be they who require aid. That is why we have been sent here, why this war coven has been called. There is blood to be given in Khaine's names, glorious battle to be made for his cause."
"You mean you're here only to fight? That's why were in this slop? So you Khainites can have your fill of bloodlust battling against the red-hairs?!"
Korgrak spoke angrily, pounding his metal-clad fist onto the table that had been set up for him.
"We have no ill desires against the Fyreslayers. Our blades do not sing for their blood, but the blood of those bound to Chaos. To the Dark Gods."
The Daughter of Khaine hissed angrily as she spoke those last words, and the few aelves alongside her gave hard and cold stares.
Chaos-followers? By the ancestors, then it is true, the Bloodlords have made it into Kurz Valka!
Korgrak had heard rumors that ever since the recent calamities striking the Mortal Realms that the one indomitable duardin of Kurz Valka were actually being attacked by the Bloodlords of Khorne, who finally sought to bring the duardin to heel in the name of their blood god. Even though he felt some grim pleasure at the thought of the righteous duardin suffering their own wounds as the Kharadron once had centuries ago, the thought of any land being lost of Chaos made him uneasy.
"So that is why you wished to be delivered here? To battle with the warriors of Khorne?"
"These lands have long stood against the tides of Chaos. We would see them remain that way, and entreat you to join us. That is the only way your ki - your former kin, can be saved," Skhara said.
"You would have us fight with you? Against the Blades of Khorne no less?" Thoradin exclaimed, and pointed an accusing finger "Pah, why should we fight with these aelves captain! I bet they knew we were going to be attacked and wanted us to be downed!"
A murmur among the rest of the crew revealed that they shared some similar sentiments.
Skhara answered calmly, like she was explaining something to a child, "There were some potential hazards foreseen. That is why you were, and will be, paid well for your services. And your pay will be doubled if you agree to accompany my sisters and I."
"Potential hazards! The Pride is collapsed and destroyed and we are stuck here! How are we going to be paid if we can't even move!" Thoradin blasted back, and this only further riled up the gathered crewmen.
"Blasted aelves! I knew ya couldn't be trusted!" one of the crew shouted.
"Maybe we should just blast'm right now, scatter them to the aether-clouds!" someone else said.
The aelves moved into a more defensive position, gripping their spears and blades in a position ready to pounce upon the word of their mistress. Skhara didn't even bat an eye, but swayed on her serpentine tail and hissed out coldly, "We paid you to deliver us, and you have. But we are both trapped her. Our path is further down." She pointed again to the opening. "You may well stay here and pray to your dead ancestors and gods to save you, starving to death, or more likely, awaiting death from above."
She pointed to the sky, as if to insinuate that another chaos dragon was about to come down and reign mutating warpfire upon the company of Kharadron and Khainites.
Skhara continued, "That rabble that attacked your ship was likely not the only presence in the skies. The Bloodlords have started to master the air, chaining dragons and surely more have been added to the arsenal of the Herald of Khorne. And you know quite well that there are other threats in the sky. You may await your death from them if you wish. But I know you Kharadron to not be fools, but practical creatures. And the only practical path is forward and downward."
Korgrak finally spoke, "And how will marching you with, she-aelf, into the holds of those who hate my kind, help my men? What benefit is to us."
Skhara smiled a wicked smile, her teeth poised and sharp, "You will live a little longer. And you have the word of the Daughers of Khaine, in his name, that you will be rewarded doubly for your efforts. And your former kin, even they have honor. Surely they would aid those who have aided them, no?"
"Captain, you can't honestly be thinking about working with - "
Korgrak interjected Thoradin, "Quiet, Thoradin."
The aelf-creature she stared Korgrak down, her eyes blazing with a cold fury.
"You will need us, duardin," she said, her words smooth but laced with iron venom, "Your ship is useless to either of us now. We have been called into the depths. Hate us if you will, but our blades are sharp and my sisters are skilled. You will need both in the battles ahead. That is the only way you and your men can survive."
The air remained tense and tight between the two parties. Korgrak stared at the medusae, and her war coven of allies. He didn't like the look of any of them, blood-mad zealots. He looked back at his ruined ship, and then at the gaping maw that led to the burning caverns below.
Korgrak grunted in annoyance, but finally nodded to the aelf and turned to his crewmen.
"Gather up supplies, men and get ready to march! Down in the depths we go."
A/N
This marks the introduction of the Kharadron and the Daughters of Khaine into the story. For those unaware, here's a brief summary of both factions
Kharadron Overlords - Steampunk dwarves. During the Age of Chaos some duardin took the skies and underwent dramatic social and technological changes, eventually reemerging as a powerful force allied alongside Order against Chaos. The Kharadron have flying ships that rely on aether-gold to float, and can be quite unscrupulous.
Daughters of Khaine - Basically crazy murder-hobo elves (or aelves). They worship the dead god Khaine, the god of murders, and are lead by the High Oracle Morathi, although Morathi is secretly lying to the elves and managing them to support her own power. These Daughters of Khaine are from my own homebrew faction, notable for being a little more willing to work with and engage with other forces of Order against Chaos.
As usual, Age of Sigmar belongs to Games Workshop. I just make the story and the characters.
Any questions, comments, or helpful criticisms will be gladly accepted. Let me know what you thought, and thanks for reading!