Was rooting around in my archives, and I found this unfinished Blood Angel story from 2002, and thought I'd share it with you. I may one day return to finish, re-draft it, but I doubt that, so I'm posting here for posterity
Warriors of the Blood
The scorching wind of Baal Secundus whipped at Jani's face. Grimacing, the
young warrior pulled the rag covering his mouth and nose tighter. Dropping
to the ground, Jani closed in on the sleeping beast, comforted by the
ancient blade in his hand.
The beast would make a fine offering to the Sky Warriors, Jani
thought. Around him, other members of his clan were also closing on the
creature. Jani was getting close now, close enough to see the beast's giant
muscles flexing with its every breath.
Offering a prayer to the Sky Warriors, Jani charged forward. The
sudden movement roused the creature. It instantly craned its neck towards
Jani and shot a stream of poisonous saliva at the warrior. Pure instinct
took control of Jani's body. Immediately, he dove and rolled beneath the
creature, slashing wildly with his blade. A gurgling scream from a clan mate
to his left told Jani that the beast's attacks had struck home.
Searing pain coursed through Jani's arm as the creature's claws
impaled him. Biting down on the rag, Jani fought through the agony to expand
the livid wound on the monstrous animal's underbelly. The creature's blood
gushed over the teenaged warrior and onto the desert's sand, staining them
the deep crimson of an autumn sunrise. The creature lashed out with its back
leg, fetching Jani a savage kick in the head. Momentarily disorientated,
Jani followed the path of the blade with his eyes as it dropped from his
hand.
Without thinking, Jani reached for the weapon, exposing his
injured arm to the creature's jaw. Jani screamed into the rag as he felt the
rows of serrated teeth pierce him to the bone. Paroxysms of pain flowed
through him like a second bloodstream, the poison entering his body, dulling
his reactions.
Again, instinct, or maybe fear, took over. Jani brought his
other arm across and pummelled wildly at the creature's jaw.
Jani fervently hoped the dry snap he heard when he connected with the
creature's jaw was one of the monster's teeth, and not the bones in his
fingers. The monster bellowed its agony, the sound of its pain scattering on
the arid desert winds. Jani pulled his arm out of the creature's mouth two
heartbeats after it opened. Jani willed the arm to grab the knife and draw
it close to his body.
Switching the blade to his good arm, Jani stabbed the creature's abdomen
viciously. Hot blood flowed from the monster's wounds, coating Jani's arms
and face, slowly filling his mouth. Jani had no choice but to swallow the
blood. As he did so, he felt a new strength rush through him,
re-invigorating his aching limbs.
A fresh energy seemed to flow through him, a primal, animalistic, strength.
Now there was nothing but predator and prey. With a bestial roar Jani
charged directly at the vile creature, his knife hacking through the thin
membrane between the creature's eyes and leaving a livid welt upon its
cheek.
-x-x-x-
On the bluffs overlooking the desert plain, a white-and-red armoured figure
watched Jani's battle with interest. He turned to his companion and spoke
'That one may yet be worthy.'
-x-x-x
The creature's keening death-howl reverberated through the valley, and Jani
felt his eardrums throbbing madly as the broken bones in his hands vibrated
and grated against one another. He was victorious, a lone predator who had
despatched his greatest and most dangerous prey. The others of his tribe had
either gone, or were wounded so badly stalking their own quarries that their
deaths were inevitable. Even as he began cutting away the beast's great
hide, fatigue overwhelmed Jani and he slumped forwards, barely noticing the
metallic red glint in the distance.
-x-x-x-
'It seems our young warrior is more fatigued than he appeared,
Brother-Sanguine,' Blood Angels Veteran Sergeant Ignius said, 'but you are
correct, he may yet prove himself worthy.'
'Agreed, Sergeant, but his tribe seem to know more of our rituals than they
should. I will have to raise this matter of cultural contamination with the
Captain. I suspect the Scout-Brothers are returning to their villages'
Ignius prayed this was not so, for such fraternisation was expressly
forbidden by some of the oldest tenets of the Adeptus Astartes.
-x-x-x-
Half the galaxy away, on the Ork-infested hive world of
Armageddon, Captain Feral of the Asgardian 15th 'Rangers' Imperial Guard
regiment was on patrol. Cleansing the alien menace from Phoenix Island had
destroyed most of his regiment since the coming of Ghazghkull; it was just
Feral and a single squad from Black Platoon left after the last greenskin
ambush.
Gripping his storm bolter tightly, the captain scanned the
surrounding terrain for signs of life.
'Squad! Fan out.' He bawled.
There was the faintest flicker of movement to the southeast.
Captain Feral cocked the storm bolter and fired, showering the area with
explosive shells. Most kicked up bursts of sandy ash, but one of the impacts
was marked by a splash of green blood. Feral grimaced with satisfaction.
That was one Orkoid spore that wasn't going to be a threat. After conducting
a perimeter sweep of the area and finding no other traces of the vile
greenskin menace, Captain Feral ordered the squad to return to the command
outpost.
When they arrived, a hulking figure in midnight blue power
armour was there to meet them.
"Welcome, Captain. I am Machiav.' The giant rumbled. 'Reports
have reached me detailing your command's interactions with the Blood Angels
Adeptus Astartes chapter.'
Great, a spook, Feral thought.
'Yes, Inquisitor, I filed those reports. What of it?' he said.
'Yours is not the first report my Ordo have received regarding
the sons of Sanguinius,' Machiav answered. 'You have one hour to assemble
your squad at the spaceport.' The Inquisitor turned and walked away.
-x-x-x-
Consciousness gradually penetrated the fog of Jani's mind. Shaking his head,
the young warrior struggled to his feet. He spat a mouthful of radiation
poisoned sand back into the desert where it belonged. How long had he been
out? Jani wondered. Chanting a litany to the Sky Warriors, he fumbled for
his knife, and plunged it into the beast, jaggedly cutting away its hide.
Making little progress, Jani switched the knife to his left hand, allowing
his injured right arm to hang limply from his shoulder. After an
interminable length of time, the beast was skinned and Jani had its hide
spread on the desert floor. Scrabbling around in the acrid sands of the
desert, the tribesman's hand closed around some hardy desert vines. Tearing
them out of the arid ground, Jani hastily lashed a rudimentary frame from
the vines for the hide of the desert-beast. Harnessing himself into the
crude glider, Jani had the wings needed for his next challenge.
-x-x-x-
'Green Squad, to Attention!' bawled Feral, as Machiav marched down the
access ramp for the Dauntless-class cruiser Hidden Truth. The ragtag
survivors of his command obeyed instantly.
'Very good, Captain. Now step aside,' thundered the Inquisitor.
Feral did so without delay, leaving Machiav's towering form between himself
and his squad. The Inquisitor slotted a new fuel canister to his flamer and
fired at the squad. There was a great whoosh of air as the flames
overwhelmed the guardsmen. Bodies ignited in an inferno of unrelenting
death. Some tried desperately to staunch the all-consuming flames with their
hands. One private squeezed off a lasgun shot at the Inquisitor, who just
laughed as his armour harmlessly absorbed the laser bolt. The putrescent
stench of charred meat pervaded the atmosphere and the ashen sands of
Phoenix Island fused into glass.
Captain Feral cocked his storm bolter and pressed its twin
barrels against Machiav's forehead.
'You have exactly ten seconds to give me a damn good reason for doing that;
you bastard,' he growled between clenched teeth.
Inquisitor Machiav's arm shot back in a midnight blue sweep and
swatted the gun away as if it were a Catachan mosquito.
'It was needed,' he said in a calm voice. 'Join me in my quarters and you
will know more, Colonel.'
Feral accepted his field promotion with bad grace, stomping
angrily aboard the Hidden Truth.
-x-x-x-
Jani looked up from the bottom of Angel's Fall in awe and
trepidation. According to the Loremasters of his people, this was the spot
where the first of the Sky Warriors had come to them as an infant. His great
winged form had illuminated the heavens before his descent had carved a
fissure through the ground itself, creating the valley in which Jani now
stood. Jani lashed the glider he had created from the desert beast's hide
around his back and waist as his hands grasped the walls of the crevasse and
began to climb.
-x-x-x-
++ Begin Transmission ++
Date: 0904001.M42
Ref: PHO3/09BGR/CasR
To: Yarrick, Supreme Commander Armageddon
From: Machiav, The Emperor's Holy Inquisition
Thought: Unbending is the saviour's will
It is with regret that I am compelled to report the loss of Captain Feral
and the remains of his Black Platoon during conflict with the greenskin
scum. I would recommend a posthumous promotion to the rank of Colonel for
Feral for his bravery in the field.
++ End Transmission ++
The console beeped softly, informing Machiav that the transmission had been
sent. The Inquisitor allowed himself the brief satisfaction of a cruel sneer
before returning to his customary seat. Machiav's fingers formed a steeple
on the lectern in front of him while he waited for Colonel Feral to keep
their appointment.
True to form, the Guardsman stormed in exactly on time. Feral
scowled at the reclining form of the Inquisitor.
'You wanted to see me,' he spat.
'I did, Colonel.' Machiav smoothly replied. 'I wish to confirm
some details of your report.'
'Very well, sir.' Feral said, grudgingly.
'You state that Marines of the Blood Angels chapter attacked
your company. Is this correct?'
'Attacked us? Those raging madmen tore through us, killing
fifteen members of my command with their bare hands.'
'A simple 'Yes' would have sufficed. Can you recall which
company these rogue agents belonged to?' Machiav asked.
'As I stated in my report, one of them wore the armour of the
third company, while the remaining two wore black armour daubed with red
crosses.' Feral replied. The spook knows all this; why's he bothering to ask
me, a lowly guardsman? He thought.
'Very good, Colonel, that's consistent with my information.
Yours is not the first complaint my Ordo have received about these
black-armoured Sons of Sanguinius. Several of those reports lead me to
suspect the taint of unnameable heresies.'
Feral wasn't surprised. The Inquisition didn't normally involve
itself in the affairs of the Adeptus Astartes without good reason.
'You said I'd have the specifics of this mission, Inquisitor.'
'All in good time, Colonel. For now, all you need to know is
that we are on course for Baal. You are dismissed.'
Taking his leave, Colonel Feral turned and marched towards the
door.
'Oh, and, Colonel, stow your weapon. Dead men have no need to be
armed' Machiav ordered the retreating guardsman.
