The Trials of Redemption

[TalonofHatred]

Ever writing the stories of my Word Bearers, this tale delves into the background of my Chaos Lord: Adrastos former Captain of the 39th Company Word Bearers. Story will be in three parts.

 

 

The Trials of Redemption

 

 

Part 1 - Dream World

 

 

Adrastos grinned evilly,
glaring at the thing that strode before him. Pain pulsed through his system as
he gripped a wound gouged into his left arm. The abomination, the creature
before him returned his grin.

 

            The devil was lithe and sinewy, tall and perversely
alluring. Its flesh was a pale white and although it bore the erotic form of a
nude woman, it's human aspect was tainted by disturbing features.

 

            Long curving horns protruded from a scalp of midnight black
hair, rose lips barely concealed shark like teeth. Though the things left arm
was almost fully human in aspect, but for spiked protrusions emerging from its
flesh, its right arm was a long curving blade of flesh and bone.

 

            Eyes of venom black stared at the wounded Astarte, it
licked its lips and Goosebumps spread over its form as it seemed to take a
twisted delight at the pain that Adrastos was attempting to conceal.

 

            The sight of such a creature would have frozen a mortal
man, either in horror or lust, but Adrastos was an Astarte and had not been
human for thousands of years. The Chaos Marine, as they now called themselves,
wore a suit of deep crimson and silver power armour. The armour was damaged on
all surfaces: cuts, scratches, bullet holes and burns all criss-crossed his
form as it had not seen repair for decades.

 

            Though the Daemon had sliced deep into the meat of his
upper left arm, his hand still firmly clutched a bolter. Without care for his
wound he suddenly pulled up the gun and with an expression of joyful malice
unloaded a series of rounds at the Daemonette.

 

            The Daemon was fast, impossibly so, it danced and leapt
through the air avoiding the speeding bolts and Adrastos snarled in irritation.

 

            It leapt at him again and though he attempted to escape
its strike the curving blade tore through armour and flesh. Adrastos swore in
pain, but knew the Daemon had left herself open. He quickly seized her by her
twisted sword-like arm and she flew into a wild rage.

 

            The Daemonette fought, attempting to escape from his grip
but she was no match for Adrastos and before she could think any further the
Chaos Space Marine jammed the muzzle of his bolter into her screaming mouth.
With a curse, he opened fire and smiled as the devils blood and flesh exploded
into a shower of gore.

 

            The Daemonette's body fell limp in his hand, and still he
felt the strange power of her tainted allure. It was disturbing to the Chaos
Marine, and before it could entrance him further, he regrouped his thoughts
dropping the husk to the floor even as it broke down into silvered sand and
disappeared on the wind.

 

            Adrastos flexed his left arm, already feeling the wound
mending. He turned from where he had fought the daemon and gazed about himself,
the sight was something from a fantasy.

 

            Above, the stars were wreathed in clouds of shifting
violet and red that were utterly abnormal to any world outside the hell space
he now walked. Floating islands of earth dotted the heavens, each covered with
lithe trees that sprouted leaves in various hues of violet and purple. There
was no day or night on this world, simply a perpetual twilight.

 

            Craning his vision earthwards he recounted how he was
surrounded by trees, the same as those growing upon the air-borne islands. The
grass was soft and lush and a cool, lazy breeze constantly blew across the
sleepy, dreamlike world.

 

            Adrastos began to tread onwards, slowly making his way
down hill. He glanced across the landscape and saw his objective: a palace of
silver and gold that shone in the hazy light. It sat tall and slender upon a
hillside farther a-field.

 

            In the distance Adrastos could hear the muffled sound of
bolter fire, the sound reassuring and calming to the mighty warrior. His
brothers fought on further ahead, as he had decided to tackle an entire troupe
of stalking Daemonettes alone.

 

            He began to pick up his pace running though the forest,
and although it was not easily seen, he was reminded that this dream world was
more a world of nightmares.         

         

           Running past the endless trees he grimaced as he made out the twisted forms of
screaming, horrified faces, merged into the wood. This world was a trap for
souls, those who were enticed by the daemonettes would eventually become one
with the world they clung to.

 

            Even now, glaring past the branches, that were eerily
similar to human arms, he could see the forms of furies and slaaneshi daemons
tearing intro the bark.

 

            They tore wood and snapped branches, the sounds of
breaking bones echoing through the forest. Where a tree would have been dry,
red blood pooled from where the devils tore and smashed their chosen victims.

 

            This was punishment for those too easily enticed by the
Darkling Prince, and though Adrastos was aghast at such a fate for himself he
could not help but enjoy this notion of eternal suffering for the weak. Then
Adrastos sighed as he knew he was caught in a similar fate as the damned that
now silently wept their agonies.

[TalonofHatred]

Part 2 - Banishment

            Adrastos had been there, at the gates of Terra itself. He
fought alongside brothers from other legions, he saw all the traitor Primarchs
in person, and he had never felt so alive.

            His company, the 39th Host of Word Bearers, were renowned
siege and assault specialists within his legion. Though the Iron Warriors were
there in force, the savagery of the Word Bearers weapons and assault troops was
still leant to the cause.

            Adrastos had managed to hold of a breach in the wall of
Terra, even after the rest of his assault group had been killed off. Alone the
veteran Sergeant of the Assault Marines roared as he killed with wild abandon,
slaying men and Astartes with power sword and plasma pistol.

            This insane act had brought enough time for
reinforcements to arrive and they managed to press further into the Imperial Palace. Though they felt victory was
ever closer it was not to be.

            Lorgar had called for the retreat of all his forces as
word quickly spread that the Warmaster was dead. Along with all other traitor
legionnaires Adrastos was broken by the news and fell into a cowardly
withdrawal from the encroaching loyalist legions.

            What had gained him shame had come during this retreat.
Lorgar had required all his sons in the Eye of Terror, to carve a domain and
plan for the future. Adrastos and his hot-blooded 39th broke their lords
command.

            They held back, along with remnants of other companies
and warbands who fought bitterly against the Imperials that now hounded them
from the very Imperium they bled to create. The rage and hatred had blinded
Adrastos to all else.

            Orion, the former captain of the 39th had died upon the walls
of Terra, and Adrastos was chosen as his replacement, much to the joy of his
hot-blooded brothers. Hence had they continued the long war in Imperial Space,
for hundreds of years, losing all but three hundred of their former company.

            When they finally came to Sicarus, new home world of the
legion, they had realized they were the last company of Word Bearers to arrive,
centuries late. They had not aided their Legion in forming their territory,
they had not aided Lorgar in their plans and they were disgraced for their
disobedience.

            The Primarch himself had met them, furious he banished
them into the very bowels of the Eye of Terror only to return when they bore
four items of great glory gifted from each of the Dark Gods. Only then could
the stain of their dishonour be removed.

            Time flowed strangely in the Eye and Adrastos and his
brothers had been awake in the endless trails of the nightmare worlds for over
three thousand years. Only sixty remained, each now a hardened veteran and
zealot, a warrior more skilled than any Astarte beyond the Eye.

            They had fought into the catacombs of death where they
saw horrors that would drive men insane. They stormed the blood plains of
Khorne where blood rained from the heavens and crimson lightning illuminated
the forms of a million warring bloodletters. They swam through oceans of wine,
blood, bodies and things that would be impossible in the most obscene dream.

            Thus far they had appeased each god but the Changer. Upon
their vessel; The Sadistic Intent, sat three relics of immense holiness, each
personally crafted or touched by the Gods themselves.

            The last item had them flying across the Eye of Terror
for nine hundred years, and Adrastos' expression hardened as he knew it was
within his reach.

            From what he was told by a Tzeentchian Oracle: Jartak, a
Daemon Prince of Slaanesh had stolen the Ravens Eye, an orb that allowed the
bearer to see a part of his future. The relic was now greedily kept as a prize,
hidden in his pleasure citadel, guarded by legions of Daemonettes and others
beasts.

            Adrastos thought this assault many times, he knew the
citadel would be guarded by daemonettes and greater daemons and was not sure if
he or any of his 39th would emerge from this final trial. Even so, there was no
fate worse than being eternally shamed in the eyes of Lorgar and Adrastos would
see this through no matter the price.

           Even as he thought of his fate, fighting back the
thoughts of a triumphant return, one of his warriors voxed that they were at
the main gates of the gilded palace. Adrastos picked up his tread and broke
into a thundering run as he finally believed he would be going home.

[TalonofHatred]

Part 3 - The Ravens Eye

 

           Adrastos emerged from the
twisting branches of the Daemon World forest, coming to the entrance gate of
the silver palace. Word Bearers awaited him there, some forty of them the rest
either dead or enslaved by the vices of the Daemonettes.

            The Chaos Lord frowned, shaking his head at the losses, as he
approached his brethren. They were all mighty and powerful in bearing, their
armour was worn and battle damaged and mutations emerged across their hulking
forms.

            Adrastos stood a head taller than most of his brethren,
extruding an aura of physical might that overshadowed even other Space Marines. He was

a rugged man, scarred, with a face that only expressed grim loathing. His dark
eyes were shrouded by the palace shadows and his head was bald, the
right side of his face was covered in tattooed texts from the book of Lorgar.

 

            The Chaos Lord placed his loaded bolter onto the side of
his leg, the weapon mag-locking onto his side, and he drew an archaic power
sword from its holster along with a plasma pistol of ancient design. These were
Adrastos' favoured weapons, symbols of his status as a leader and tools he had
used since he arose as a Veteran Sergeant before the Great Betrayal.

            The other Word Bearers carried a variety of weapons, each
warrior that had survived this long had become a master of a multitude of
combat arms and techniques. They glared at their leader through dark lenses,
waiting wordlessly for his command.

            They had fought together for so long that Adrastos knew
his warriors needed no real guidance when in the thick of battle, they all
worked together and independently at the same time.

 

            Glaring up at the metal palace, he felt unsurprised that
the main gate was simply left wide open, as though welcoming interlopers.
Turning to his brothers he nodded and made way for the entrance. Bolters raised
as one and the warriors followed their lord into the den of the hedonistic
devils.

 

            As they walked in the warm scent of sweet perfumes hit
Adrastos first. It was soothing and alluring - different from the scent of the
battlefield. Adrastos hadn't even noticed how much he
let his guard down until a pack of Daemons descended upon them, bladed
forelimbs slashing into power armour, as the Space Marines quickly recuperated
and fought back.

            Adrastos let off a searing bolt of plasma energy that
vaporized a duo of Daemons in a super heated explosion, they groaned in ecstasy
as their bodies burned to torn ashes. The Chaos Lord growled as another pair of
Daemonettes lashed at him. He parried the first strike, simultaneously cutting
away the enemies limb as it snarled in surprise. The energy from his sword glowed
brighter and he swung it about rending the other she-devil in half.

            Around him, his brothers did the same with chain axes,
chain swords or other weapons. Some of the Word Bearers had scythed mutations
of their own and they fought the daemonettes on equal ground.

            For all their speed the ferocity and strength of the Word
Bearers was something they could not overcome, and they bagan to marshall back.

Just as Adrastos believed he had achieved a victory he
hear a massive sound thundered though the lightning fast melee, and something sent him
crashing to the ground.

 

            It was large, much like a Daemonette only far more
bestial and horrendous in appearance. It walked on four limbs, like the parody
of a horse or centaur of ancient myth.

            The Fiend of Slaanesh, licked the air like a viper, its
massive clawed arms reaching out and slicing a Word Bearer in twain. Adrastos
roared an insult, rising and cutting through one of the Fiends arms, severing a
clawed limb.

            It howled and the massive stinger that emerged from its
rear struck out at Adrastos, impaling him and sending him back to the floor.

            Bolter rounds exploded across the monsters flesh and it
yelped and barked as great clumps of its flesh were blasted apart. The
Daemonettes sneered as the Fiend fell and fled past the columns ahead.

 

            The Word Bearers regrouped, noting the six loses they had
taken and marking them for the pickup of their company geneseed. Aboard their
vessel the geneseed of almost every fallen brother had been waiting for ages to
be implanted into new recruits, if they could make it out of here alive their
former company could return to some form of glory.

            They continued on, Adrastos ignoring the sharp pain from
his chest where the stinger had landed. The black carapace and power armour
had stopped it from penetrating his central heart, and he sighed in relief as
they traversed deep into the palace.

            They passed the columned hallways, where past the stone
pillars they saw vast tables where obese mortals enjoyed an eternal banquet,
before their hunger drove them to eat until their stomachs tore open.

 

           At the feet of the tables, silken bed sheets and velvet pillows were cast

about where droves of young lovers revelled in sexual ecstasy, until one changed into a
Daemon and devoured the other.

 

          Along the pillars and the bases of the
walls, men and women sat gazing blindly into the nether, their minds bent by
intoxicating drugs, the deeper they went the more horrified their once joyous
expressions turned.

            Adrastos and the Word Bearers ignored all this, they were
pious warriors of all the Gods and it would be a grave sin to cave in to the
sole will of another. Had they joined the Dark Prince in his excesses they
would be shamed in the eyes of the Blood Father, the Changer and the Lord of
Death. To the Word Bearers this was blasphemy, and would be sentenced with
eternal suffering.

            Finally as they left the main holds of the Palace they
entered the throne room. It was massive and circular, a vast throne of velvet
and gold sat in the center. It was surrounded by six pools where women and
daemonettes played with all the devices that they needed to pleasure
themselves. They gazed hungrily at the Word Bearers, beckoning them to the
pools but the dark hearted giants strode by, ignoring their calls.

            Adrastos paused, beside the throne on a stand he could
see a circular object that glowed bright blue. Against all the violets, purples
and metallic's of the palace it was a stark colour. He smiled and his pace
quickened as he sped towards the empty throne.

            A shadow passed over him and he halted yet again as an
enormous creature landed upon the throne. It was huge, twice the height of Adrastos
and thrice the width. Its flesh was soft and pale, its bladed hands and wings a
dark purple and it gazed at the Word Bearers with a resonating malice.         

   

            'Jartak,' began Adrastos.

 

            The Daemon Prince smiled as it rose up to its full
height, landing onto the space before the throne. It's hand went over the
Ravens Eye.

            'You come for this, mortal?' It whispered.

            Adrastos nodded, 'Give it to me and you may live this
day, go on and enjoy your... excesses.'

            The Daemons smiled, its lips revealing a row of razor
sharp teeth.

            'You dare intrude upon the home of Jartak and ask for his
property?' It snickered.

            'It is not yours devil, it is a gift from the Changer and
I require it to return home. I am taking it one way or the other...' replied
Adrastos.

            'The other then,' the Daemon said as it unfurled its
wings and flew into the air.

            Adrastos nodded and turned to his brothers, 'Destroy this
place!'

            Without a moment of hesitation the Word Bearers lifted
their arms and began firing at the women in the pools, who screamed and
attempted to escape. Their blood and flesh exploded across the water and walls
as the Word Bearers began the extermination of everything in the throne room.

            With a thundering crash, Jartak smashed among their
ranks, roaring in fury.

 

            'Sacrilege!' he screamed as he slashed through a duo of Astartes.

            A Plasma round blasted his face, sending muscle, bone and
flesh searing off and the Daemon groaned in furious ecstasy as it turned to the
form of Adrastos, holding up his plasma pistol.

 

            'Fool, you dare speak of sacrilege when you steal the
sacred gifts of the gods!?' snarled the Chaos Lord.

 

            The Daemon smashed through a pair of Chaos Marines sending them to the
floor as it leapt at Adrastos. Daemonettes bolted from the red pools and cut
into the ranks of the Chaos Space Marines, who grasped combat arms to take this
foe in the melee.

            Jartaks massive clawed hands swung at the Chaos Lord who
stepped back, leading the Daemon away from the ensuing melee between his warriors
the Daemonettes.

            Ducking under a blow he swung his power sword around,
stabbing through the right wrist of the Daemon Prince who roared in pained
irritation. The things tails swept under Adrastos, sending the hulking warrior
crashing to the ground.

            As the beast came over him he spat at it, unleashing
another fusillade from his plasma pistol which tore massive, burning gouges
across its left shoulder rendering the arm almost useless.

            The plasma pistol glowed red hot and Adrastos grunted as he
tossed the over-heated weapon away.

            As the Daemon Prince howled in pain, Adrastos managed to
rise, kicking the beast in the wrist that his sword had impaled and turning to
run towards the throne.

 

            He heard the press of wings against the air as a shrill
battle cry stung his hears, turning he saw the form of Jartak flying down to
crush him under its weight. Its left arm was barely hanging on by a few torn
tendons of muscle.

            Before the daemon could land upon him he knelt low to the
ground and raised his sword high. Jartak was far too frenzied to stop its
descending flight and with a scream it landed upon Adrastos' sword, burying
the warrior under its form.

            The blade protruded from its back and its eyes were wide
with pain as it cried out its final death cry. The beast vomited blood
and curses, but its misery wouldn't end until Adrastos, swinging his blade,
emerged from its back holding a chunk of the daemons heart in his mighty grip.

            The Daemonettes had seen the display and suddenly their demeanour
changed, they edged away from the surviving Word Bearers, glaring gleefully at
Adrastos.

            'That death... was exquisite,' moaned one of the
she-devils.

            'Hail, Lord Adrastos,' they chorused bowing to the Word Bearers.

            Adrastos rose, his warriors meeting him and questioning
him about the Slaaneshi Daemons.

            'They shall serve me now,' stated the Chaos Lord as he
turned towards the throne.

 

            He walked to its side and looked down at the Ravens Eye,
to his surprise it was truly an eye, an enormous eye. It moved and glared at
him the pupil, like that of a serpents, glowed yellow and Adrastos reached down
and grabbed it.

            Suddenly agony coursed through his mind and he shut his
eyes with an expression of pain.

            Everything went black then he heard it, at first faint,
the screaming of men and women. Then the deafening roar of bolter fire. Red
lightning tore the black from his sight as he glimpsed the forms of a thousand
Word Bearers storming a massive Imperial city. Legions of daemons and fanatical
humans surrounded the red giants as they mercilessly cut down the Imperial
citizens.

            Through the din of murder and mayhem he could make out a
voice, it preached quotes from the book of Lorgar. He recognized them as his
former chaplain had once recited them to his company. He sought the carrier of
the voice and finally saw him. A giant of red and silver wearing a vast suit of
Terminator armour. There was nothing familiar about this being but for his
voice, for it was Adrastos' voice.

            In his left arm he carried a massive Crozius that burned
with dark power, his right hand was an immense power claw and the book of
Lorgar was proudly tied to the trophy rack on his back. He was surrounded by
twenty terminators, who guarded him and blasted the foe with unwavering fury as
the mighty Chaos Lord walked ever on-wards.

 

            The vision suddenly quieted as the Terminator Lord turned
his menacing gaze towards Adrastos. Even with the helmet in place Adrastos
felt the same gleam of malice and hatred, the same power and purpose, for he had
seen himself.

            Velvet light flooded his vision as he saw that he was
again standing before the throne, he looked down into his hand and the Ravens
Eye stared back at him.

            With a wide smile, the Chaos Lord said a short prayer to
the God of Change thanking him for the vision he had been blessed with.

            'My Lord,' came a voice from behind. 'Are we set to
leave? May we finally return to Sicarus?'

            Adrastos turned, noting the last twenty survivors of his former
company, he could not take away the evil smile from his face as he nodded.

            'Summon the vessel, we return to Sicarus and to our
redemption my brothers.'

            The Word Bearers howled in victory as their long
banishment would finally come to an end. As one they let loose the howl that had
become the staple of the Traitor Legions since they had turned their backs on
the false Emperor,

            'Let the Galaxy burn!'