Rise of the Wolf

[Heathen Hammer]

Friggin great. lookin forward to more.

[commander alexander]

Thank you. I'm writing some more, but as most of you can probably tell, I hate revising and editing. Hence why I'm so bad at it. I pretty much post it up "raw" so to speak.

[commander alexander]

Karl had just left the chambers of the flesh weavers, the Wolf Priests. They were not surprised he was not to be chosen, few, very few of their ranks had been chosen from relatively young astartes. "We do not often initiate young wolves, even hunters," they said to him. He wasn't surprised either, and that priesthood had no calling for him now.

"Maybe someday," he said to himself," if it ever interests me and I am long in the tooth."

 

He had already been to where the Rune Priests gathered and practiced their wyrd. They had already evaluated him for potential, just as they did every wolf before they receive the gene seed of Russ. Most with the potential to harness the spirits are found out then, but occasionally, "the spark that is one's soul becomes an ember, and from there, a fire," they said to him. If ever he noticed things that were "out of place" or not normal for him, he should talk to one of them. He was clueless about their mysterious arts, but he respected the rune priests greatly, and held their power in awe and curiosity.

Now he looked forward to his next stop. Down in the deep of the Aett, he was to see Böðvarr, the Iron Priest who had been out fighting with their company. He was in the mysterious forges down below. Supposedly much smaller than what was on the Iron Priest's Isle. He had never been this far down before, but he had been given directions by another Iron Priest he had seen in the hallways. Lucky for him to, or he would have likely never found it. As he got deeper, the humidity began to rise, and then the air became warmer. He could hear a steady pounding, like the beating of his own hearts.

[Russ Brother 92]

I like it :cry: I like it a lot :cuss - hope you continue with this and bring the Aett and it's people to life as you have done wonderfully so far :blink:

[commander alexander]

Thank you all, and I'm trying to do better with editing and revising. Russ knows I need to work on those things!

 

So for now, here is a teaser.

 

"It means this, do not make any assumptions about me astartes, and I shall not make any assumptions about you. I am no crazed fool running around with more power than I should. You are certainly no stupid barbarian running around space either. Quit the act, and show some respect, I have done nothing to earn disrespect from you."

[commander alexander]

Here we go for an actual addition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fires of the forges and furnaces cast everything in a warm hearth-like glow. About him everywhere servitors and thralls bustled, and a few Iron Priests spread out amongst them in the great cavern. He was being led down a long ramp into the cavern by a thrall that had been waiting for him. They reached the floor of the cavern, and made their way across it, by the burning fires and assembly lines. It took what seemed many, many minutes to reach the other side. Here they headed into another set of tunnels, this one shorter, until they finally reached their destination. The thrall ushered Karl in through an archway, and left and then promptly left, to whatever other duties he had. Karl was inside a workshop, weapons and armor lined the walls, benches and tables in the room, in various stages of repair or completion. Across the room from the entry way stood a lone wall you could go around from either side. Coming from around the wall was the glowing light of a forge, and he could hear the ring of hammer falls. A moment later the hammer fell quite and Böðvarr the Iron Priest came out.

 

"Welcome Karl," he said, "I expect you have seen the other priests by now?"

 

"Yes, I am sorry I did not come sooner Iron Priest."

 

Böðvarr removed his helmet and set it on the bench, exposing his relatively short steel grey hair. "It is fine, and again, you can refer to me by name."

 

"Yes Böðvarr," he replied with a nod of his head.

 

Böðvarr looked over him with some thought, and then asked absent mindedly, "So what of your visits with the other priests?"

 

"I am not to be chosen for those paths, at least not now."

 

"You do not sound disappointed."

 

"I was not expecting to be initiated. I do not have any wyrd like the rune priests as far as I know. I am also far too young to be a flesh-weaver."

 

"Ha-ha, indeed you are Karl," he chuckled and grinned, bearing his fangs," Anyways, the Wolf Lord has asked me to give each of your packmates a new piece of wargear, as much has been lost." He turned and pulled a sheet off of one of the benches, and waved Karl over. "Take your pick."

 

Karl walked over, and marveled at what he saw upon the table. There were weapons there, old and new, of varying designs and craftsmanship. Any warrior appreciates such fine weapons. "Thank you Böðvarr, you honor me."

 

"Make your choice, and then thank me, and as much is due to your wolf lord."

 

Karl nodded his head and looked over the table, there were many choices. Pistols, chainswords, axes, bolters, and all other manner of wargear were spread across the table. He looked it all over, until one thing caught his eye. A rough and old looking plasma pistol had caught his attention.

 

" Böðvarr, do you know much about this pistol?" Karl asked.

 

"A little, it is old and it isn't pretty, but not much more than that. I can't think of it ever having a major failure either."

 

"Can I have this then?"

 

"Yes, but why that old pistol, when there are so many other choices?" Böðvarr asked, having been intent on him the whole time.

 

"It looks to have been in many battles, and suffered many wounds. It is strong, and seems like it should serve me well."

 

Böðvarr smiled, showing his long canines, "An excellent choice Karl, and an excellent choice indeed."

 

"I thought you said I should choose something else?"

 

"I never said that Karl, I merely asked why you picked this. Tell me, does this priesthood have any calling for you?" Böðvarr asked as he gestured with his hands to the surrounding room.

 

Karl looked around for some time and thought before he answered," Yes, it does, but I am not sure if it is my path."

 

Böðvarr nodded his head," I understand. Here, take the pistol. Treat it with some care, and do not use t wastefully, just as you would not waste the life of one of your brothers."

 

Karl nodded, "I will."

 

"Let me teach you a prayer before you go, it will focus and calm the pistols spirit, and so it will fight better."

 

Karl agreed, and learned the prayer for his pistol; he would take care of this precious gift.

[Russ Brother 92]

I like it :) it's much more auspicious and buried in subtle choice rather than a stereotyped grandeur of the shiniest new toy.

[Warhorse47]

Well told my Brother!

[commander alexander]

Thank you both :) . Warhorse, I'm shaking a proverbial finger at you, go write your own story!!!! We've all been waiting on you to update yours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Three minutes until landing," Karl said over the unit vox. Everything was cast in odd shadows in the red light, with the exception of the holo-display projecting inside his helmet. One of the figures was changing its value constantly, and quickly. The display was showing their position relative to the planet and the other units of the company. The fast changing figure hit three digits, when they began to shake violently. Anti-aircraft fire detonated nearby, and one round made contact, sending them spinning for some time. Rockets were kicked in by the drop pod's machine spirit to make corrections to their descent. Karl was watching as orbital and AA battery positions began to show up on his display. They were hit again, this time deflecting them much farther and with no elevation to correct. "100 meters!" Karl shouted.

The drop pod impacted with an enormous amount of force, knocking their bones around inside their bodies. Had it not been for the hydraulic harnesses that dampened the impact, and their armor they would likely be dead. The harnesses slowly let them down, and released them with a hiss. Karl readied his old pistol, whispering a prayer to it, and thumbed the switch on his chain axe. The bolts on the doors of the drop pod detonated, and they fell open with a crash. There was a nearby caravan of Ork vehicles that had raced up to the landing site, and already a fair number of their passengers raced towards them.

 

The Orks shouted and yelled in their guttural language. Karl let lose plasma shot into the face of one, killing it, and its corpse stumbling those next to him. Two more made it to him, and he met them in kind with his axe. The Orks are brutes, thick, and dense, so are their bodies. Otr was making a mockery of the Ork boyz that were facing him, their strong but slow and brutish attacks were doing very a little against his finesse and speed. Ívarr was making them howl and hoot as he bathed them with the promethium from his flamer, driving his bionic fist through the faces of those that made it through the torrent of flame. The Wolf Guard Ėldi did not even waste the promethium of his heavy flamer on them, but sent them flying with open-handed swats and backhands with his terminator armor's mighty power fist.

 

Ėldi called over the vox, "Karl, Otr, the top of the hill, go up the alleys." Karl and Otr both saw, up the street on the higher ground where the trucks had stopped. A Mekboy as they were called and his Lootas had set up their odd heavy weapons, and opened fire. The noise was horrendous, as bullets and all other manner of projectiles flew past. Ėldi and Ívarr went to either side of the street in which we landed, and acted as if they were taking cover while the Lootas fired away. Karl ran up the alleys on the right side with all haste, he could see from between the buildings that more boyz were charging down the street.

 

"They shouldn't be a problem for them," he thought. Soon he was where he thought the Lootas and Mekboy would be and turned down the alley. He had to make two quick turns and then he was in sight of the wide, Ork filled street. The Mekboy leading the Lootas was on this side of the street. Karl quickly set, and threw two fragmentation grenades. One of the Lootas looked down to see what it was. With a loud bang, the Ork jumped back, with a badly mangled face, the other grenade surprising and confusing his fellows.

 

"Me eyes!!" the wounded Ork cried, and began firing wildly. As he moved about, Karl got a clear shot at the Mekboy, and fired his pistol at him. The shot hit the strange shoulder mounted contraption that it carried. "Why you sneaky!" The Ork howled, and turned to Karl, fast approaching out of the alley. He let loose a blast with his strange weapon, striking Karl in the left shoulder, and knocking him back a few meters. His armor was singed and the systems were scattered for a moment. Karl quickly got back to his feet, and came back again. The Mekboy was shoving past the Lootas who had resumed firing, both at Karl and the others. The Ork planted himself, and fired another shot at Karl. The blast never came, and the Ork looked questioningly at his weapon, until it blew him in pieces all across the street.

 

The Orks and their technology were best described as predictably unpredictable. Karl ran through the hail of fire one of the other Lootas was raining down on him. He reached the Ork, knocking the gun aside with a back hand swing of his axe, and jumped to bring a knee to its face. The Ork fell back from the impact, but lashed out with a meaty fist at Karl's side, knocking him off the top of him. The Ork could not get back up to his feet fast enough, or get his gun to bear, and Karl planted the roaring head of his axe in the things skull. The other three Lootas were dead or dying. One of them didn't know it yet, having its throat deftly cut by Otr in the fighting, and being an Ork, either didn't know, or didn't care.

 

Karl heard and felt the ground shake as if there was a stampede. Suddenly around the corner of one of the trucks, a huge Ork came running, and with the swipe of its enormous chain-axe sent Karl flying back. Otr was quick enough to dodge the brutes charge, and pulled out his bolt pistol, pounding rounds into the things back and sides. Another of the beasts charged around the truck, and one more, which they could not see yet roared, "What's goin' on that stopped me trucks!?" This beast did not run around the corner of the truck, but merely shoved it aside. A Warboss, likely one of the ones working under the Warboss controlling the Waaaagh!!!. The brute marched forward in a primitive form of powered armor, with two big hydraulic claws. Suddenly the Orks growled in pain as they were bathed in flame.

 

Ėldi and Ívarr where by them now, firing their flamers. One of the brutes charged through, still burning swinging around some odd form of a saw on a handle. Otr rolled forward and to the side, jumping on the things back, and stabbing at its head and neck with all fury. Otr had left himself exposed though, and one of the other Orks thought nothing of striking down the other Ork if it meant he hit Otr. That he did, and Otr was sent crashing into the wall of a nearby building. The Ork that Otr had attacked went after him, shouting "OW! That 'urt!" But the back of his head and neck erupted in a gory mess. Otr had known that he wouldn't do much with his knives, so he planted a grenade in the nape of its armor. The other Nob, as Karl now remembers them called, snatched at Ívarr. He smashed the searing muzzle into the things arm which burned the flesh, but did little to deter it. The beast kicked out, knocking Ívarr to the ground. Karl was already running then, jumped into the air. He felt something swing dangerously close to him, but it missed. He brought the growling head of his chain-axe into the things large neck, biting into the flesh. He had already begun to stomp Ívarr, but the distraction had made him step back. Ívarr now had his bolt pistol out, pumping rounds into the things exposed gut. Karl sent his chain axe tearing through the flesh in the things neck and shoulder as it tried to reach around and pull him off. Karl put the muzzle of his pistol up to the things head, and incinerated it with the burst of plasma. At such close range, the blast seared Karl's own armor, but the damage was superficial. Behind him he could hear the Warboss thundering around, he was fighting Ėldi. The Ork Warboss was standing over the fallen wolf guard. Karl was in an instant on the back of the Warboss, attempting to disable its armor. Ívarr was up and harassing the beast, who was wounded, but more than a match for them.

 

"Why you!" He shouted as he tried to pull Karl off, and swat Ívarr away at the same time. Karl ripped off a plate of metal, and saw what he thought was the power source. He jammed a grenade in there, and leapt off. The blast made the Ork stumble forward. He stood up, and kept after them, even though his armor was disabled, he still had the immense strength to swing it around. The Ork smacked Karl with one of the claws; he could hear his armor breaking. The Ork stomped forward to finish the job, when suddenly the surface of his face was cratered. A bolter shell impacted the thick bone, on his cheek, and his temple, but one had punctured his eye. Karl looked over, and saw Otr, propped up against the building, having unslung his bolter. The Warboss was frozen for a moment but then, with a dumb look on his face slowly continued forward. Karl raised his pistol, and put a shot into its face, along with Otr and Ívarr. The Warboss finally fell over, with a mashed, singed face.

Karl and Ívarr helped Otr to his feet, and then they went over to Ėldi. He was alive and awake, so they helped him to his feet. The right side of his armor and body were magnled. His right arm hung limp at his side, and blood leaked through the cracks in the arm and leg. "We need to get out of the open," Ėldi coughed out. They all could see trucks from farther up, and down the road racing to the intersection. They hurried as much as they could, and found their way through the alleys between the buildings. Once they were far enough away from the drop site they stopped. "We must have been knocked from the target site, but how far?"

 

Karl looked in the displays of his helmet, figuring that Ėldi's had suffered damage. "Four kilometers to the west. It doesn't show anything as to the concentration of Orks from here to there."

 

"What about vox?" asked Ėldi.

 

"Nothing." Otr said, he had been trying to contact the other packs.

 

"What, what could be doing that, not the Orks." Ívarr questioned.

 

The hairs on Karl's neck stood up, he could sense the others new it to. They all raised their guns to a shadow in a corner of a nearby alley.

 

"You do not need to raise your weapons at me Space Wolves," A human carrying a sniper rifle of some sort, and wearing a camouflage cloak walked out of the alley way, giving a curt bow. "Besides, I helped you kill the Warboss, or rather you helped me."

 

"Huh," sneered Ívarr, "I think not, we did not see, hear, or receive any sign of your giving us aid."

 

"If you will consult your friends memory, and the magazine of his bolter," he nodded in the direction of Otr," You will find that he only fired two shots at first."

 

They looked to Otr, who then conceded, "It appears to be so."

 

Ėldi spoke this time, "Are you a Guardsmen, or part of the planetary defense force?" He asked this with all seriousness.

 

"Neither my Lord, or rather I once was."

This did not put any of them at ease.

"My commander would like to see you, and thank you himself. He says he will also bring you to the staging area of your forces." The human said suddenly.

 

"You have vox signal?" Asked Otr.

 

"Yes. Please follow me." this was the only reply they could get out of him, and so they followed. They did like this human too much so far.

[commander alexander]

We had a good lightning storm this evening, so I got inspired to do some writing at long last. Just a short blurb, but it will have to do.

 

They had been following the sniper for some time. They wound deeper and deeper into the city, through buildings now rubble and dark alleys clotted with the signs of war. Karl began to be wary, nervous of the surroundings, he was feeling like they were being led into a trap. The others picked up on it as well. As they were walking, out of the shadows not two steps from Karl came a voice, "Hello." In an instant all the Space Wolves had their weapons pointed at the voice, and snarls on their lips. "Stand down Space Wolves, we are not your enemies." A cloaked man, only a head or two shorter than Karl stepped out of the shadow. He removed his hood to expose a strong face, with a high, peaked brow giving way to a long red mane, and dark blue eyes. He pulled a necklace from under his cloak, a seal of the Inquisition. "I am Inquisitor Abraham Van Helsing, of the Ordos Xenos, and it is time we talk."

[commander alexander]

Back to the present! (Just to confuse, and tease you)

 

"Two minutes to impact," the automated voice brought him back to the present, in this trembling, cramped space. The light was a soft red, waning and brightening in slow repetition. As still as a carved statue, he stood in his harness. The light cast frightening shadows upon his large form. His mask was made in the stylized form of a kraken, with sharp fangs, and swept back tendrils. From the back of his head, jaws, and nose, mechadendrites hung like hair and beard. He looked at the Blood Claw across from him, who was looking back. Karl let the attachments slither across his chest like a mass of tentacles.

 

"That frightened me once," the young one said, "but not anymore".

 

"No, I suppose it doesn't now ."

 

Karl was smiling inside his helmet. Merely four years ago, this young one standing before him had just been a frightened tribal boy. That trick he just played had nearly sent the souls from a whole group running from their bodies. How things have changed. They are still young though, and this will be their first real combat. It was his duty to lead them, an odd thing to do for the typically solitary Iron Priests. Not for Karl.

 

"Check and ready all your gear," he addressed everyone as he looked at data streaming through his HUD, "we will be coming in hot."

 

This brought growls and low howls of anticipation from the Blood Claws as the readied themselves. Karl went through his own systems and gear. The storm bolter on his left arm was loaded and ready to go, a long chain axe gripped tightly in his right hand.

 

The red light started flashing with more intensity and speed. "Thirty seconds to impact."

 

The smell of their anticipation, of their excitement was thick enough to cut with a knife. Karl could not quell his own excitement, he was a warrior first and foremost. He let a song come to his lips, "Drops of fire, drops of steel. Look high my foes, look high. You will see your doom, these ill stars. Look in fright..."

 

"10, 9, 8, 7..."

 

"It will be over soon, when the thunder sounds. Come not the hounds of war. Here come the wolves, to sunder you tonight."

"Impact."

[Russ Brother 92]

very good chap ^_^ nice to see your writing back in action ^_^

[commander alexander]

It is good to be writing again. I'm afraid, come December, there will be another long dry spell... I will be in basic training for the USMC.

 

I should have another addition today or tommorow.

[Russ Brother 92]

It is good to be writing again. I'm afraid, come December, there will be another long dry spell... I will be in basic training for the USMC.

 

I should have another addition today or tommorow.

 

I know it's slightly OT but a)good luck :) b)how long is the training as a whole? if it's only a few months (unlikely I know) you may well be on the same afghan tour (if you're sent out there) as my brother haha - although whilst you may meet in sangin, it's probs only for rugby etc. as he's British RHA :)

 

and don't worry - I'll still be here awaiting more stories (minus the large choppy-stabby knife to gain more stories) ;)

[commander alexander]

If I get deployed there, I will let you know, but that probably wont be until April at least.

[Russ Brother 92]

If I get deployed there, I will let you know, but that probably wont be until April at least.

 

my brother's out in may onwards I think - can't remember haha - good luck and as I'm sure you know, no-matter what anyone outside the military life may say about it - you'll likely never have tighter friends or fonder memories :D

 

now back OT - give me more stories by RUSS!! I am both intrigued and kept on a short leash of excitement for the continuation of the story :)

[commander alexander]

I'm really looking forward to it.... Not the choppy-stabby knife, exchange for story bit. ;)

 

Back to the story...

 

Even with retro-thrusters and hydraulic dampeners, the impact was unbelievable. The amount of strain put on Karl's armor and his muscles was immense. "I want a thirty meter radius cleared, for the vlka fenryka!"

 

The bolts on the hatches blew, and with a groan they fell, like petals of blooming flower. A flower spewing death. The Blood Claws howled and gave voice to their war cries. Karl stepped down the ramp, letting his storm bolter raise it's own roar.

 

Tyranids, the foul creatures they are, lay sprawled about the landing sight. Many more though were on their feet. These were lesser beasts, merely waist high to an astartes, but their strength lay in numbers. Hormaguants if he remembered correctly. In a chittering swarm they came, ready to tear and rend at the surprise that landed in their midst.

 

The explosive bolts from Karl's weapon tore through the oncoming swarm, even as his armored boot crushed those yet to recover. In none too surprising contrast, the younger warriors charged head first, forgetting the pistols in their hands. They howled and growled as they butchered through the creatures with their long knives, and roaring chain swords.

 

The creatures closed in with Karl, and they were met with death. The engine of his own chain axe roared to life, and tore joylessly through flesh, leaving trails of xenos gore and blood through the air. He now gripped it with both hands, wielding it with skill, speed, and strength. The brood they had landed among was not that large in number, but there was no sense in letting one get past your guard.

 

Even with disabling blows the creatures still fought on. It did not matter at the moment though. Right now a disabled creature was as good as dead, it would only take a quick blow to finish them. The fighting was soon enough over. Unlike Karl, the young ones had not emerged unscathed. There were no serious wounds, but their headstrong attitude and inexperience showed. They all had scratches and gouges in their armor, and those who were not helmed had scratches on their faces, already scabbed.

 

The drop pod had landed in a courtyard next to a fountain. Streets spread out from the courtyard like rays. The buildings here were lower than in most cities, made in the likeness of ones from ancient Terra. This must be a wealthier district.

 

The blood claws had remembered to clear a radius though, and they stood in position around the drop pod. "These lesser beasts were still under control of the hive, a larger beast must still be nearby."

 

All the blood claws looked a little closer at their surroundings, vigilant now for another threat.

 

" I want three of you to come with me. We will sweep from North around in a 100 meter circle. The rest of you will stay here, and watch down the streets for movement." He looked around at them, they all nodded their assent. "All right, you three," he pointed, "let's go hunting."

[Russ Brother 92]

now that is a brilliant way to start a war ;) the combat is nice and visual, quite realistic and karl's as grim as the best RSM on parade day with young blooded newbies haha

 

I hope that you can bring your near-future training and possibly experiences into the story at a later date - for now, the sharp stabby knife goes back in the draw alongside that memo from the Emperor letting our Dress-Wearing cousins that they're all forgiven and not guilty of any trespasses... ;)

[commander alexander]

now that is a brilliant way to start a war ;) the combat is nice and visual, quite realistic and karl's as grim as the best RSM on parade day with young blooded newbies haha

 

I hope that you can bring your near-future training and possibly experiences into the story at a later date - for now, the sharp stabby knife goes back in the draw alongside that memo from the Emperor letting our Dress-Wearing cousins that they're all forgiven and not guilty of any trespasses... ;)

 

:P Mwahahah, don't let the dress-wearers get a hold of that! I am curious myself to see how any of that will affect my writing/imagination. In the meantime, I'm working on another addition for today.

[commander alexander]

Here's another little bite.

 

 

The streets are clean here, with few signs of the ongoing war. People who had been living here, had been evacuated before the Tyranids invaded the district. With the population density lower here as well, there was less of a target for the insatiable appetite of the hive. How disgusting, that these privileged few had been a priority to save, while millions died.

 

The young ones were still inexperienced, but they moved with surprising stealth. It still sounded like a heard of stampeding rhino-mammoths to Karl.

Something caused his hackles to rise, and his blood began pounding while his nostrils flared. Soon the young ones noticed it too, and they were tensed like a spring ready to snap.

 

"Movement to your West, Iron Priest!" one of Blood Claws called over the vox. The three with him began to race for an alley to get to the street West of them.

 

"No you fools," he called after them, "it's a trap!"

 

A scream came from the young ones at the drop site. It was too late, the trap was sprung, but it was sprung a moment too soon. Three beasts crashed from the roof tops around Karl and the Blood Claws with him, they had been intent on trapping them in the alley. "Stay sharp, all of you!" He bared his teeth behind his mask, and grabbed his axe tighter, "These ones are dangerous."

[commander alexander]

Hey y'all, long time no see. Not such a great addition, all well.

 

And I dissappear again! :)

 

They stood another head taller than any of them, warriors. From Karl's previous engagements with the hive fleets, he would have to say it was a xenos worthy of the name. Their size, along with their strange exo-endo skeleton, and three sets of appendages made them imposing. There true threat lies in their cunning, even when separated from their strong connection to the Hive Mind.

With an alien hiss, they charged. The two to either side swept wide in sideways dashes, while the first came up the center. Two of the blood claws were on the right, the other on the left; they turned to face the flankers. Karl was not so sure they would survive. With a snarl he leapt forward to face the other.

 

These creatures were certainly no fools. This one's lower arms ended in tentacles, and something that resembled a clever, deceptively sharp and strong. The upper pair were scythe-like claws, long with needle points. The others, no matter what they were armed with would in all likelihood kill the inexperienced Blood Claws. This one with its tentacles and claws had a better chance entangling and killing the leader. Karl was no fool either.

 

Just two meters from its reach, he fired his Storm Bolter into its lower abdomen. Most of the shells only made shallow craters in its dense flesh, but one blew a chunk out of its side, and another maimed the stump of tentacles. Then they met. The beast's cleaver came hard and fast in a sideways swing, waist high. Karl rolled to the left with the swing, something dropped off of his belt. He couldn't see it, but with instinct, he deflected the cleaver with the haft of his axe. It had been mere centimeters from his head. He had no time to think, the creatures scythe-claw on that side was already swinging down towards his back. He was able to stand and block it, but it lashed out with its tail. The tail struck him in the knee with force, and rather than try to regain his footing, he rolled with it. Better to keep moving than let it hammer him with blows.

 

As he got to his feet again, he was buffeted by a concussion, along with a spray of dirt, blood, and bone. The warrior let out a cry of frustration, it did not know pain. The grenade he had let slip had done its purpose, distracting the thing, if only for a moment. It even maimed one of its cloven feet. Karl did not let it go to waste. With a powerful two handed strike he hit the last joint of its cleaver arm. With a 'snap' his axe head went through, leaving it hanging by a piece of sinew. The beast was certainly not done. It back handed him with one of its claws, followed by the point of the other. The first clipped him and knocked him back just enough to miss the next. It came after him on its maimed foot, as if it didn't matter at all. Karl took a long grip on his axe and charged forward, leading with a powerful upward strike. The warrior had to bring both of its claws up to block it. Karl let it. He stepped forward and punched into its side. He struck the exposed flesh and pushed in. With a burst from his wrist-mounted storm bolter, he pulverized its insides.

 

He quickly pushed the dying warrior off of him to help the young ones. One was heavily injured, weakly batting away the attacks from one, trying to distract it. His pack mate was impaled on its claw, but he was still alive. He still had his pistol. He brought it up slowly, and then dumped the whole magazine into the warriors face. The other blood claw had his right arm hanging limp at his side. In his left he held his pistol. He was popping off shots whenever the warrior moved and made an opening. He was retreating the whole way, backing himself up near a wall.

 

Karl rushed in with a hard low swing. He caught the beast in its thick meaty leg. He let the chain-axe tear through the flesh as the warrior screeched. It swung at him with its tail and claws, driving him back.

"Get away from the wall!" He shouted, "Don't let yourself get cornered!"

 

It now had to shift most of its wait to the other leg. The Blood Claw darted back away from the wall, and the warrior turned to follow. "No! Look at me!" he snarled. He gave it a short burst from his bolter, the shells detonating harmlessly on the chitinous plates of its back. IT turned back towards him, only to meet a fury of axe blows. It was unsteady, but the warrior met most of his blows. Then Karl got one past its guard, and the axe head bit into its meaty chest. Karl heard the 'thump-thump" and "splat-splat" of bolter rounds hitting flesh. The beast fell with his blow. The Blood Claw had destroyed a joint in its other leg. Carl had to wrench his axe free before he went down with it. The warrior lashed out as it fell, so Karl leapt back. The 'Claw was there already, pounding bolt pistol shells into the plates on its head, shattering the chitin. Karl brought his axe down on the shattered plates, smashing its skull.

[Russ Brother 92]

I personally prefer the old font but hey that OT - apart from a few spelling mistakes (not so much mistakes as errors - in-putting the wrong name or how throughout it's simply an axe (which i assumed maybe foolishly to be a power axe) so tell the reader early on that it is indeed a chain axe) it's a very good continuation. I'd change a few things, like this part: ...deceivingly sharp and strong... I'd edit the deceivingly to deceptively, it has a better ring to it and 'chimes' better with the idea of low cunning that warrior-beasts naturally have.

[commander alexander]

When you say "the wrong names", what do you mean? If your talking about the warriors weapons, that was intentional. It was meant to be more descriptive of what the warriors were fighting with. It was also meant to imply that he knows of the tyranids, but is no biologis scholar. After coming back after a few months and re-reading this again, I can definitely see where I need to proof read and edit most of the entries.

[Mordarien]

Awesome stuff!!

 

Really enjoyed reading the story to this point and hope you continue it.

[Russ Brother 92]

When you say "the wrong names", what do you mean? If your talking about the warriors weapons, that was intentional. It was meant to be more descriptive of what the warriors were fighting with. It was also meant to imply that he knows of the tyranids, but is no biologis scholar. After coming back after a few months and re-reading this again, I can definitely see where I need to proof read and edit most of the entries.

 

I only meant that (and it's more than likely me just being a tad picky) I got a little confused about Karl's weapon - the descriptions for all others is spot on and tbh. that of the warrior is exactly how it would appear to me in a vivid nightmare ^_^

 

I hope you don't take offence as it is a brilliant story and enjoy reading it chap. :P

 

It will be a shame that you'll start your training in a few weeks and so this story will go quiet but I shall be anticipating your return and good luck mate ;)