Andurin Marvak Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 The Bloodblades of 8th Company were, if anything at the moment, not hard put to withstand the assault. Hormaguants swarmed all around them, wave after wave of their chitinous bodies slamming into what had until recently been Imperial Guard trenches. The two Devastator Squads at the rear of their position unleashed the fury of their Primarch into the oncoming swarm, mowing them down by the hundreds as they came with heavy bolters. Once the xenos reached the trenches, after navigating a well thought out mass of mutagen coated spikes, three full tactical squads lay in wait, bayonets and bolters at the ready. Soon, the guants were tearing through their own corpses to make it to the Blood Angel lines. Silently, Veteran Sergeant Malekos prayed to both Primarch and Emperor that the evacuation of the Hive proper was nearly complete, and that the relic they had come for was once again in the hands of the Sons of Sanguinius. All intelligence reports he had received through his vox indicated that though the going now was easy, for a marine, within an hour the xenos would have support capable of slaughtering them to a man. It would be a good death, but, when all was said and done, there was always more to do in the Emperor's name that required a pulse. Just then, the true assault began. The ground beneath the Devastators erupted, throwing the men into the waiting teeth of the enemy, onto their own defensive spikes, or on top of their battle brothers in the trenches. The mawloc devoured two of the marines whole, the sickening crunch of ceramite and flesh against razor fangs enough to send the Guard platoons situated around the Blood Angels' position running in horror. The dying roars of his brothers only angered Malekos, and he had no need to even gesture at the beast for all his men to open fire. The thing was instantly riddled with bolt holes, and oozed ichor from every orifice as it crashed to the ground, dead. The tyranids had used this brief respite to hammer with renewed force on the defenses. Warriors and raveners poured into the trenches, butchering guardsmen to reach the marines with a single-minded intensity. Malekos saw one of his own squad succumb to the Black Rage, and grab ahold of one of the serpentine fiends by the tail. Roaring curses, he charged into the fray, swinging the ravener like a living weapon. He sold his life dearly. As the Sergeant was unloading his bolt pistol into the face of a warrior, something heavy crashed into his side throwing him out of the trench. He hit the ground hard, crushing several hormaguants who had not seen him come barreling out of the sky. Quickly, he leapt to his feet, pulping a guant's head with his elbow as it lunged for him. He noticed that he had lost his bolt pistol and chainsword, and resolutely drew his twin combat knives. Out of the smoke and flames stepped a carnifex, its crab-like claws snapping together in anticipation of a kill. Behind it, a trygon slithered up, rearing to its full height, six arms waving in hunger and primitive rage. Malekos was not sure as to which had thrown him out of the trench, but that was Sergeant Pollux, his long time friend, dangling from the carnifex's maw. He charged, his angelic face twisted in fury, a flash of crimson to fast for even their enhanced senses to keep track of. The trygon struck first, striking like a cobra, and he sidestepped just in time. The carnifex bellowed, and crashed towards him, head low. That was a mistake. Leaping, Malekos planted both his feet on the creature's head, and drove his knives deep into its eye sockets and beyond, into the brain. Brutally, he tore his hands free, and flipped off the dying hulk as it fell to the ground thrashing. The thing's tail caught his mid-section and hurled him once more. With grim humor he realized that this was the blow that had thrown him previously. Now prone, he raised his head and saw the trygon, and the rest of the carnifex brood, coming for him. Any normal servant of the Emperor would have let the end come. Malekos was an Adeptus Astartes. He began to rise, slowly, showing no trace of fear. His death, like his Primarch's, would serve to help ensure the survival of Mankind. It was a noble death. But it was not to come today. A shrieking blur of green, roughly the size of a marine, shot past him on the left. A whirl of teeth and claws and crackling warp lightning tore into the nearest carnifex, taking off limbs and massive chunks of chitin. What the Veteran Sergeant could only describe as a genestealer broodlord actually lifted the now-dead carnfix off the ground entirely, and hurled the corpse into its brood-mate with such force that the hulk collapsed. "Flee so that we Servants of Sanguinius might hunt you more sportingly, xenos! The Ix comes for you this day!" the thing howled, before vanishing into the smoke. The trygon turned to follow it, and found itself shortly dead. A crimson scaled behemoth thundered out of the overcast sky, belching flame and roaring a challenge that made the earth shake. Atop this leathery-winged reptile was a slate-armored Astartes, bedecked in all manner of trophies and knightly regalia. One hand gripped his saddle, the other, a titanic flail that he whirled effortlessly over his helm with one hand. "Dragons of Oricalcos, forward!" he laughed, as his mount tore the trygon asunder with its powerful talons and gruesome fangs. Around Malekos, a few squads of assault marines, their armor also the color of slate, landed, their jump packs slowing their descent from the even larger dragon that swooped low overhead, spewing death at the oncoming swarm. One thing was for certain; The Grail of Rigant was surely secure, along with the men and women of the nearby Hive. There it is, folks, a teaser for my DIY, the Dragons of Oricalcos. While not sons of Sanguinius, they were trained by Blood Angels, and therefore respect the Angelic Primarch. Look to see a decent sized draft of an IA Article in Liber soon! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/223889-on-burning-wings/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taranis Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Very well written. Makes of want to use reptiles as bikes. Very nice. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/223889-on-burning-wings/#findComment-2677857 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andurin Marvak Posted March 4, 2011 Author Share Posted March 4, 2011 Thank you. If enough people like this, I may do a similarly short sequel involving the other group of enemies heading towards Baal, the demons led by the Bloodthirster who Sanguinius destroyed at the Seige of Terra. And there are some pretty nice cold one models that I would use for bikers(if I ever field them, right now the dragons count as DC and Librarian Dreads and a Stormraven) McFarlane makes some pretty large ones that can easily be a craft of that size. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/223889-on-burning-wings/#findComment-2678209 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother_Mike Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 40k + Matrix Carnifex killing + Space Dragons = Win End Proof =P Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/223889-on-burning-wings/#findComment-2678229 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Nathan Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 love it. btw the bloodthirster keeps appearing in battles in the ba dex, not only the 2 times against sanguinius. so if you want it is possible that your chapter came accross him in their past. personally id try to start with fluff leading to baal trying to slow down the incomming hordes in other areas. gives more room for fighting in different areas rather than just dusty baal. if you get my meaning? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/223889-on-burning-wings/#findComment-2678255 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andurin Marvak Posted March 4, 2011 Author Share Posted March 4, 2011 Thank, you, all, for continuing to read. Actually, they're all the way on the Eastern Fringe, they happened to be trained by Blood Angels because their chosen Homeworld happened to be a place where, according to Legend, Sanguinius, by will alone, subdued a "dragon" and ordered it to watch over the populace. This "dragon" is the one all new recruits must wound once with a combat knife before becoming full Battle Brothers. Without getting torn to pieces. The beast doesn't even remember how old he is, but holds himself to that ancient oath. So, while they like Roboute(their gene-father) and are clinchers on social order (which is feudal), they adore Sanguinius even more. And therefore, while not under the Command of Dante, they'd gladly help the Sons of their Liege Lord. What's actually surprising is that no one has questioned the random green Broodlord who can speak Gothic and kills other tyranids. I figured I'd be getting a lot of flak for The Ix by now. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/223889-on-burning-wings/#findComment-2678628 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitefireinferno Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 I've been writing a Short story about this battle while the Power has been out but more focused on the FT fighting Chaos and Nids and surprisingly there are Dinosaurs :P gotta love Astartes home worlds with giant Dinosaurs as a useful warbeast. But will be reading more as it is done ;) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/223889-on-burning-wings/#findComment-2678674 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andurin Marvak Posted March 5, 2011 Author Share Posted March 5, 2011 Alright, I have the initial IA rough draft up in Liber! Wheew, that was intense. Thanks again for everyone who's been reading this. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/223889-on-burning-wings/#findComment-2678837 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Nathan Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 green broodlord, meh i just figured its a libarian trick probablly...lol Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/223889-on-burning-wings/#findComment-2679054 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andurin Marvak Posted March 5, 2011 Author Share Posted March 5, 2011 Well, The Ix counts as Mephiston on-table. Hence the Carnifex mangling. But no, he's no psychic trick. Following the winged Primarch's example, the current Chapter Master(the dude who came down on the dragon) made him swear an oath of fealty. The Ix had originally been a "lone wolf" of sorts and stalked the countryside killing livestock for food. Enough rumors of his doings eventually reached the Dragons, and when both PDF and Astartes failed to capture the beast(mind you, losing no men in the process), the Chapter Master took it upon his personal honor to find and neutralize the threat. He found The Ix in a cave deep in the wilds of their home planet, and conversed with him. At that point, no Dragon had seen a tyranid, beyond blurry recordings that did not include genestealers. The Ix was easily centuries, if not one or two millenia old, and claimed that he had always been on Oricalcos, and was the last of his people. The two dueled, the Ix lost, and submitted himself for execution. He was spared, and in return for his life he served faithfully alongside the Chapter, learning about the Emperor and his Primarchs, and growing to venerate the teachings of his new masters. Everyone in the chapter was already used to working with local wildlife as a method of waging war, so the Ix, while little understood, has become a sort of sentient mascot for the Chapter Master's honor guard. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/223889-on-burning-wings/#findComment-2679107 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Nathan Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 cool. though be aware that wont fly in a tourney, and fluff wise id be keeping him away from other astartes. though my own astartes wouldnt fire on it while its killing my enemys until it poses a threat :D goud jab! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/223889-on-burning-wings/#findComment-2679240 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andurin Marvak Posted March 6, 2011 Author Share Posted March 6, 2011 Oh, I would never bother with a tourney. Once it goes beyond a game among friends, I'm out. I'll save my competitive side for other things. For the most part, The Ix stays right by the Chapter Master, who usually stays in the home system, so he rarely sees other Astartes. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/223889-on-burning-wings/#findComment-2679532 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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