Doombringer

[Gree]

Author's Notes: This was for the Legends of Liber written challenge. This was based off Imperial Dominatus's chapter called the Calamity you can view the IA here.

 

 

***

 

The man woke up.

 

Pain shot through his body as he opened his bleary eyes. All around him lay the dead. The streets of Teras IV were filled with carnage and the pungent scent of death. Faces gaped at him among the flickering flames as he watched the rats crawl over the corpses.

 

The man was in his fifties, with hair already thinning and one eye replaced with a glowing blue augmetic that ran various data-steams across his vision. His clothes where dirtied and torn into rags from the previous fighting.

 

He groaned and got up, pain engulfing each of his limbs. The man coughed again. Some red specks landed on a shining object near the ground. The man scrambled for it and lifted it up, his eyes blinked.

 

It was a small thing, gold and shiny, shaped like an ''I''. Then memories came back to him as the man realized exactly what that held in his hands. He held the death of worlds in his hands, the symbol that could kill kings.

 

Then he remembered who he was.

 

''Inquisitor Khorsen.'' A deep booming voice said from behind him. The man looked around.

 

It was bigger than a man, a full head bigger, its eyes flashing crimson as its blue green figure stepped out impossibly quietly from the shadows. Its held was shaped like a rearing serpent and it bore the emblem of a hydra on its shoulder guard.

 

For a moment Khorsen was at a loss, then he realized what it was.

 

''Inquisitor Jalus Khorsen. So predictable.'' The Alpha Legionary said as four others came, their scaly armor shrouded in shadowy cloaks as they swept the area around with bolters. The leader stepped forward, unsheathing a toothed chainaxe.

 

Khorsen remembered him and his warband coming to Teras to investigate the rumors of the cults on that world. Then the cults had risen up and hell had broken loose. The Alpha Legion came and slaughtered their way through the loyalists.

 

''This was all for you.'' the Alpha Legionary said, walking over to Khorsen. The Inquisitor tried to jump back, but the Chaos Marine's arm snaked out with inhuman speed, catching him by the scruff of his neck and lifting him up. He rose, legs kicking uselessly in the air.

 

The horned helm leaned in, blood-red eyen lenses glaring at Khorsen. ''Such a fool.'' the Alpha Legionary tossed him aside, the Inquisitor landing harshly on the nearby wall. Dimly Khorsen felt a several of his ribs crack. He struggled to stay conscious.

 

''Brother-'' one of the Alpha Legionaries started to say in alarm as he looked at his auspex.

 

Then there was a crack of sound, and then light.

 

Khorsen opened his bloodied eyes to see more shapes appear. Great silver armored shapes cloaked in green materialized out of the air, weapons held at ready. One of the figures held an eagle-winged staff in its hands. He was armored in blue war plate, different form the others.

 

Then the sharp thunderous roar of bolters broke through the air as the two sides clashed. The head of one Alpha Legionary exploded as its body was hurled back. Bolts of lightning flew from the hands of one of the Astartes and plasma guns shrieked.

 

Sanity and insanity fought over Khorsen in a matter of seconds. Then, just as the fight began, it was over. The Inquisitor looked around to see all of the Alpha Legionaries dead as well as three of the silver-armored Astartes on the ground. There was a blood-scent in the air, but this smell was different, more potent than the earlier smells. The fight has lasted mere moments, yet it was something that even Khorsen's senses could barely comprehend.

 

The leading figure, a being in blue armor with a green cloak, walked over the body of one of the Alpha Legionaries. It was the champion, Khorsen recognized the corpse as the traitor commander who threw him around. The traitor marine's armor was broken and torn.

 

''Sons of Alpharius, so predictable.'' the leader laughed coldly, his voice distorted by his helmet. The leader wore his pride like a king wore his crown. He turned to face Khorsen and gestured. The Inquisitor was then lifted up on his feet by some invisible force and brought forward.

 

Psyker…. The word slipped in Khorsen's bleary mind, as if by some whispering ghost.

 

''You-I thank you-''

 

''Thanks are not needed. You are lucky the teleporter locked on to your transponder beacon when they did. I am Damme of the Calamity''

 

''What?'' Khorsen asked.

 

The Astartes sighed. ''I suppose some of that can be excused for your current state, but I expect more from my colleagues. Inquisitor Jalus Khorsen Inquisitor of the Ordo Hereticus, famed Witch Hunter, do you know what I am.''

 

''Psy-psyker'' Khorsen gasped out. His words tinged in shock.

 

''Yes, correct a psyker saved your life here. I don't want you to forget that. Ever.'' Damme emphasized the last word

 

''You must contact the rest of-''

 

''Your colleagues? Yes I know. Inquisitor Jalus Khorsen, Hero of Dismetes VI. Arch-Leader of the Purgator Council. Et cetera, et cetera. Your titles are impressive, but inferior to mine. Know this. Your investigation, your confrontation with the Alpha Legionaries, everything you have done on this world, has already been predicted by me. I would have gotten here in time to save the rest of your retinue, but I'm afraid my erstwhile cousins got here first.'' Damme said.

 

''But the XX Legion. They will be rooted out. My colleagues here have failed. I don't mean any offense, but you Astartes are built for a different kind of war. The Alpha Legion have no honor.'' Khorsen said.

 

Damme sighed and Khorsen sailed into the arms of a white-armored Marine who immediately began to look over Khorsen. The Inquisitor recognized the mark of the Apothecarion on the left shoulder guard. He was handled with all the care of a man handling a glass vase.

 

''Among the many forces of the Arch-Enemy there are few beings who can begin to match the intellects of the Calamity.'' Damme said. ''The Alpha Legion are one of the few'' the Librarian knelt by a dead Alpha Legionary and tore off a shoulder guard with a thought.

 

The acid blue shoulder guard floated up, the green hydra exposed for the Inquisitor to see.

 

''You are familiar with the Hydra yes? The being that regenerates its heads. Am immortal killer who strikes from all directions?'' Damme asked.

 

Khorsen nodded slowly.

 

''Then let me educate you on another legend, one that I have found in my studies. Long ago there was an ancient hero called ''Hera-kles'' this Hera-kles once fought a Hydra. He was a famed warrior, renowned for his strength and skill, but for every sword blow the Hydra simply rose again, renewed and strengthened.'' Damme lectured. He glanced briefly at Khorsen.

 

''Do you know how he killed it'' Damme asked.

 

''I'm unfamiliar with the exact nature of each legend. I am a busy man.'' What was the point of this? Khorsen wondered.

 

''He cauterized the wound s of the beast with a flaming torch to prevent the regeneration. With that the Hydra died. Take a look around you Inquisitor'' Damme gestured out into the broken, shattered streets.

 

''This world is tainted and corrupted, filled with vermin. The Hydra spawns here, so I will simply burn it out.''

[Dominicus]

Very well written, and the personality of Damme matches that exactly of the Calamity. Overall, very good.

[Shinzaren]

Excellent! Very well written. A thoroughly good read that makes me want to see more from the Calamity. Going to Head-to-Head with the Alpha Legion eh? A true battle of wits then. One small point however.(It is a Liber Story afterall :rolleyes: ) The Inquisitorial Rosette, their badge of office, is jet black, carved from solid obsidian. That's how GW has always described it. That aside, super interesting, and I am really glad you actually showed the Calamity as being mortal. In a fight with the AL, they lost 3 guys which really pulls you into the story and makes it seem real, instead of just hero worshiping. Nice work all around.

[GooseDaMoose]

Other than a few linguistical and grammatical awkwardities (I know that's not a word :P) this is a very cool story so far. Looking forward to more. But remember that for psykers to use their powers they have to let a portion of the Warp into their bodies which is incredibly dangerous, so I don't think they'd be so blasé about using their powers to, for example, lift the Inquisitor up or tear off the shoulder guard. They're not Jedi :)

[Gree]

That's true, however Librarians have very good control over their powers. (For example Tigurius uses telekinesis rather casually to move a few pages in the codex in Chapter's Due)

[GooseDaMoose]

Ah okay, well then it's probably down to individual authors' artistic license :(

[Darkchild130]

One suggestion i have is to make the inquisitor older, as he seems too young to be so famous and held in such high esteem, when compared to other famous inquisitors.

 

Darkchild

[Lone Scout]

I enjoyed reading your story, it moves at a nice pace, the action starts early and individual personalities are already building."He was armored in blue war plate" awesome I liked that description.

I didn't enjoy "The man woke up", to me it is too vague perhaps "Khorsen awoke to" still hold the mystery of what he is or "their prey awoke" if you wanted it from the Chaos point of view. The few small mistakes do break the flow of your story, this is an easy fix though. I think you have done a excellent job, nice work.

[Captain Juan Juarez]

Cracking work there, Gree, as always.