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I wrote this story based on a Lost and the Damned Codex I made.
Fenix peered out of his camouflaged observation post though his mag-viewer at the dirt road carved out of the jungle at the bottom of the valley down below. He could see the dust being kicked up far down the road to the north as the convoy of tracked vehicles as they crept down the valley. At the head of a convoy what a boxy azure vehicle with five giants in gaudy azure amour marching cautiously behind it, followed by a myriad of transports and armed uniformed men. In all, Fenix counted ninety foes; five Marines, sixty combat Guardsmen and twenty-five (presumable) armed drivers and co-drivers. He could well assume that another twenty armed Guardsmen were resting in the vehicles and that there were another six Marines in their transport if he counted the driver.
Fenix smiled, at the pace they were going they would be at the appointed ambush location in a matter of minutes. He watches the Marines sweep their auspex sensors back and forth in a hypnotic motion. He wondered if the Guardsmen had failed to inform them that the local trees obscure the auspex’s abilities, or if they had been told and simple refused to believe it. With a small chuckle at the arrogance and ineptitude of the fools below he performed one last check of his gear and raise his vox caster to his lips.
Down below were over five hundred armed cultists were hiding in the jungle. The very though of these so-called “allies” filled him with disgust. They dare to call themselves following of Chaos. These pathetic weaklings were not worthy of the blessings of the dark gods. They were not true worshipers given over to Chaos, but clerks, menial labors and lazy aristocrats that follow Chaos not out of an appreciation of its true nature. But out of a juvenile desire to rebel and pursue what their shortsighted leaders have forbidden them from. For years they hide like cowards in there basements and attics with a few sacred tomes, muttering a line ever now and then and deluding themselves into thinking that they are anything more than children playing as adults.
Now was the time to truly test them, smelt away the dross and see if any gold remains. Fenix pressed the caster dial and calmly spoke one word: “Now.”
The jungle below erupted in smoke and fire as hundreds of shrieking cultist rushed from hiding spots in the jungle towards the supply column. The column was receiving fire from all directions and the din of screams and small arms fire was punctuated with the sounds of heavy weapons and the periodic explosion of a vehicle. Fenix did not bother to try to direct the attack, he simple glanced to his Brothers, which prompted them to prepare their weapons. As he looked to his Brethren he felt a surge of pride. These were true warriors, worthy of the gifts of Chaos. They had fought on many worlds together. They had known victories and setbacks together, but they had never known defeat, and with the blessings of Chaos they never would.
Looking down at the swirling battle Fenix assessed the situation. The Guardsmen were reeling and disorganized. The Marines had used a few burned out vehicles to form a makeshift defensive position. Only one of the Azure giants lay fallen and he had been carried back makeshift fortress in the middle of the road by one of his comrades. Fenix was please that so many Marines still stood, as it had been some time since they had been able to test themselves against a worthy opponent. Suddenly Fenix raised his hand and motioned, and as his did his brothers arose form their hiding places and moved into a fire position. To his left and right two other Brotherhoods did the same. Fenix readied his sniper rifle chose a target and cleared his mind. He waited in a trance for several minutes and then he felt it. The Warlord’s psycher had reach out though the warp signaling that the time was now. He had his orders and pulled the trigger of his sniper rifle, as did twenty-nine other Warrior of Chaos.
He worked the bolt action in disdain and changed the energy cartridge. The las bolt stuck one of the azure beasts in the face, and it had dropped to one knee but it quickly stood erect again and begun to spray a large caliber auto weapon in their direction. Though disappointed that the shot failed to down his pray, Fenix was proud of his brothers. Based on the azure beast semi-random fire, he clearly knew the direction the shot came from. But his men were so well concealed he could not see them. With the completion of that thought Fenix had fired three more rounds and at last the armored foe had finally fallen and he switch to a new target, some blustering officer waving a flag. As las gun and sniper fire, with the occasional propelled grenade rained down on the doomed foes in the base of the valley Fenix took stock of the situation again. The cultist cowards had more or less broke and began to flee into the jungle, stumbling over the heaped bodies of their comrades. The last of the Guardsmen had been cut down and the only movement from them was a few of the desperate wounded crawling into the jungle. The sound gunfire had slow to period shot every now and then. A smile cracked across Fenix’s scarred face. None of them would last the night. The jungles of Evir valley were not safe for a healthy well-armed man. They would be a death sentence for any for these wounded and confused Guardsmen.
More importantly what were the azure giants doing? Would they stay and try to protect the convoy to the last? Or would they try to hunt down their unseen assailants (as Fenix secretly hoped)? Fenix slowly surveyed the wreckage. He counted eight fallen azure warriors as the last of the smoke and dust clear. “Ha!” He thought. They have come looking for us after all. He reached for his vox and informed his command that the any intact vehicles found on the road would have been rigged with explosives (the Marines would not have left them without doing that) and to send a salvage team that was expendable. Then he signaled to his brothers that they were to move out. There were three Marines down in that valley and the hunt was on...
As the sun started to rise over the verdant hills, Jopet walked out to the perimeter of the Imperial Guard outpost. He was to relieve Trooper Samil from first watch and he was looking forward to seeing the sunrise. As he navigated the switchbacks in the razor wire barricades he noticed that Samil was not at his post. His first thought was that Samil should be glad it was him walking out there, and not the Commissar. Sleeping on watch was at best thirty lashes and at worst a bolt shot to the head. But as he reached the perimeter Samil was nowhere to be seen. But there was something sitting just on the edge of the clearing of the jungle. Jopet squinted his eyes against the low light of the early dawn and what he saw caused him to drop his las gun to the ground. It was sign made from the twisted remains of a Chimera hull. Painted in what appeared to be dried blood, it read: “THE VALLEY OF EVIR IS OF CHAOS AND SO IT WILL REMAIN.” And around the grizzly sign was a circle were eleven Ultramarine helmets facing outward.
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