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Author's Notes
Though this chapter is the shortest, it was the hardest to write without it sounding too cheesy...
I still think there are a few parts i could have written better, but this is the best i could do...
Also, due to the sheer amount of writing i've actually done on this, the number of chapters for this story has gone from four up to five, so keep your eyes peeled for the next (and final) installment to the Treachery's Road series.

The eight cultists exploded in a spray of blood as the three Deathwatch Marines entered the chamber.
The ninth, floating above a mark of Khorne painted in blood on the floor, now pulsed with demonic energy, his eyes glowing a sickly, otherworldly purple.
“Vile beast!” Gallus raised his Melta Pistol, but the daemon was there first, lifting its hand, the warp spawn lifted Gallus off the floor and tossed him against the wall with a flick of its wrist.
On the other side of the chamber, Leondras and Gheren entered, strafing and firing from the hip.
The creature turned, their bullets rippling into nothingness around it.
“Such fragile life…” It mused to itself, speaking in several voices at once.
It spread both arms wide, and a wave of pure warp energy vented from its mouth, flinging both Marines into the air like rag dolls.
Stephos and Karel both charged the creature, leaping to meet it.
The daemon, its fingers now long, black claws, grasped Stephos’ arm and slowly bent it back on itself.
There was no sound of bone breaking, no cartilage snapping, just Stephos’ ear-splitting scream as the warp manipulated his flesh.
With it’s free hand, the daemon enclosed its fingers around Karel’s head, clamping down on it until Karel thought his head might explode.
It dropped Stephos, the Blood Angel, reputedly the toughest of the team, passed out from the sheer pain of being manipulated by the warp.
At this point, Leondras and Gallus were back on their feet, circling the creature warily.
Leondras took one look at the creature’s smirk and knew it was toying with them.

***

“So, the failed Captain comes to redeem himself.”
Eliphas the inheritor grinned, his mouth tugged by the hideous scars crossing his face as he slowed pace, walking towards Aramus.
“This time I will end you.” Aramus growled, thumbing the activation rune on his chainsword.
Eliphas purred a cold, icy laugh.
“Davian Thule failed to do it, as did Apollo Diomedes, as did Azariah Kyras himself, you stand no chance.”
“No more words,” Aramus roared, “You disgraced me, you corrupted my Marines, you killed Venerable Thule! Now stand up and face your crimes, cur!”
“Gladly,” Eliphas purred, unlimbering his Power Sword.
Aramus charged, firing his plasma pistol as he ran.
In the midst of the melee between Guardsmen and cultists, the two giants clashed, with bayonets stabbing and slashing around them, Eliphas slammed his Power Fist into Aramus’ arm, knocking his plasma pistol away.
At the same time, Aramus brought his chainsword up and slashed it across Eliphas’ right gauntlet, drawing blood and forcing the Chaos Lord to drop his Daemon Sword.
“Chapterless meat bag!” Eliphas hissed, slamming his open palm into Aramus’ face and wrenching the chainsword away with his power fist.
He tossed the weapon aside and turned back in time to see Aramus grab his power fist with both hands.
With a swift tug and a roar of rage, Aramus tore the power fist away and slammed it into Eliphas’ chest, causing him to stumble backwards.
Recovering, Eliphas rammed his shoulder into Aramus’ chest, lifting the loyalist Astartes away from the ground with sheer momentum before slamming him into a wall.
Aramus dropped to the ground, but stayed upright, leaping forward and high-kicking at Eliphas’ face.
The Chaos Lord stumbled away, and Aramus pressed his attack, turning Eliphas’ punch away with an open-hand block and lifting his other fist to slam into the corrupted Astartes’ chest, causing his chest-plate to dent inwards.
Eliphas snarled, slamming Aramus sideways with a flat-palmed fist to the shoulder, bringing his free hand up to grab Aramus’ gauntlet and swing him round into a mob of cultists.
Aramus landed with a crack of breaking bone and sinew and the resounding scrape of crushed armour.
“So weak, so pathetic, how it galls me to see you squander your life when you could be so much more!”
Eliphas offered a hand to Aramus.
“Come with me, I will show you more, become my Aspiring Champion.”
Aramus reached out as if to take Eliphas’ hand, then jammed a bayonet down through the Inheritor’s outstretched palm.
“I will never be a slave to them as you are!”
“Then you die here…” Eliphas whispered softly, yanking the bayonet from his hand and making ready to finish Aramus.
He looked around, checking to make sure there were ample observers, and saw the Bronze Fists being effectively subdued by the loyalist forces.
Eliphas glanced back at Aramus, then sighed reluctantly and dropped the bayonet.
“It seems I will have to finish you another day, dear brother, my sights are set higher than your miserable chapter this time…”
“Don’t run from your fate, Eliphas!” Aramus yelled as the Inheritor retrieved his daemon sword.
“I am not running, Aramus, just biding my time.”
Something clicked inside Eliphas’ bulky terminator armour, and the Chaos Lord disappeared in a white flash of light.

***

Karel dropped to the floor with a loud hiss as he sucked air between his teeth.
“I am K’Ril Usarath, mortal, and the world shall tremble at my coming!”
The daemon descended until it was standing on top of Karel.
He extended a hand as Gallus and Leondras fired simultaneously.
Time seemed to slow around the two, their shots fading into nothingness as the daemon lifted Karel’s head by the hair.
“This vessel is fragile; I need something more…permanent.”
“You’ll not take me!” Karel spat at the warp spawn, but it merely laughed.
Slowly, a dark mist filtered out of the daemon’s mouth and reached towards Karel.

***

Idranel watched as Seraphos squeezed the life out of the Inquisitor.
Scrolling through his mind, she had seen he was a good man, a man who had suffered much for the good of his Imperium.
She couldn’t let such a pure soul be extinguished.
Her body shook as she drew eldritch energies into her, shrouding her in a vibrant blue light.
She shrieked, extending a hand and releasing a pulse of eldritch energy.
Seraphos only had time to utter a brief yell of surprise as he was thrown sideways through four walls, coming to rest in a pile of rubble.
Benjamin climbed to his feet stubbornly, clutching at his ribs.
Idranel released the energy, now strong enough to walk by herself.
She supported the Inquisitor on her shoulder, helping him down the corridor as Darius returned with the Blackwatch.
“What happened?” Darius called, eyeing Idranel warily.
“He’s hurt.” Idranel replied in an almost pleading tone.
Her time as a captive had taught her, if anything, that she wasn’t above humans, that they weren’t a lesser species, and that some, if not all, were capable of doing great things.
“Let’s get him to a Medicae.” Darius said, turning to walk back up the corridor.

***

Eravas stepped carefully through the rubble to the limp form of his master.
He was a dutiful lieutenant, obedience had been beaten into him from the moment he betrayed his Battle Brothers.
“My lord?” he asked, picking Seraphos up in one clawed hand.
“Get us away from here…” Seraphos uttered weakly, “I won’t stay to see Eliphas betray me…”
Eravas nodded, activating his armour’s in-built teleporter.
Both men disappeared in a searing blue flash of light.