The Dark Vengeance Part III: The Grudge

Continued...


"By the time we got Lord Tharos locked down, the second command bridge was as it was a devotion to Khorne. His encased, immortal rage had swept over the bridge and massacred the majority of The Catalyst's deck crew. His deranged bellow echoed through the vessel over our signal beeps and loud hailers. The Imperial lapdogs had escaped our grasp again. The payback would have to wait.

I witnessed the birth of this grudge and have been part of the curse ever since. In the inferno of a long cityfight campaign our cultist forces had been matched by the loyalist Steel Legion regiment. Along with his most trusted Lord Tharos had led the campaign from the shadows and we were finally ready to bring the blade down. The plan for our strongpoint assault had been forged. The demolition teams caused every Imperial reserve tunnel to cave in and their support network collapsed within hours. We revaled our presence with an airborne attack against the night sky and the deep strike brought us right where we wanted to be, in the lines of the terrified loyalists. I can still smell their fear and hear the disbelief and panic in their mortal voices. "Chaos! Chaos!" I cherish these moments and send my regards to the Dark Gods.

We cleaved through the human platoon and as I beheaded a contemptible junior officer, I could see a flash of light. It was instantly recognized as bolter fire by our squad and we regrouped towards the center of the plaza. Lord Tharos taunted at the attackers through his speaker grill, laughing. Dozens of torn bodies around us were our signature and statement as we activated the power weapons in our arsenal. The loyalist Marine squad charged on us and we would make them bleed.

It was a blur of gore. The veterans of the Ardent Watch Marines fought with their usual sorrowful zeal but we were forcing them back. I roared with bliss as my lightning claw slashed through the chest armor of a loyalist sergeant. On my left brother Carox was crouching over a fallen enemy and beated the mutilated face of an already dead Marine with his armored fist. But on my right Lord Tharos was still engaged in combat with the enemy commander. The loyalist Captain was clad in white armor and blood red robes and wielded a heavy blade uncommon to the Imperial arsenal. We gathered around the challenge.

Finally Lord Tharos brought the scum to their knees. The Marine, now identified as famous Captain Priory, spat blood through his mangled helmet. Our general hissed with joy and rised his axe to end the war. The loyalist dog grasped his blade handle in a condescending manner. As our lord's blow came down a ray of energy bursted roaring from Marine Captain's strange, wretched blade.

Our company was shocked. Through the smoke we could see Lord Tharos in the ground, but not in one but two pieces. His upper body lay where the Marine should've been and the loyalist himself was gone. The dark energy of the mysterious blade got us all by surprise. It had to be work of a daemon, or a feat of some ancient xeno civilization.

Lord Tharos cursed the Four as we dragged his remains away from the frontline with haste. He was still alive when our Aspiring Champion roared for the tech artesans to be summoned. The hateful glimmer in his black eyes didn't die out even when we slammed shut the blasphemous sarcophagus cover. For four days the Dreadnought remained motionless and silent, but then activated in a berserk rage and what was once Lord Tharos screamed Captain Priory's name for a night and day. The created Helbrute was a spawn of the event as was the grudge and hunt to last for decades.

Although the Ardent Watch has slipped through our grasp many times they have suffered heavy losses and The Horde of the Bellower has grown numerous while hunting Priory and his comrades. Tharos' power is still but a shadow of what it once used to be but his resolve and zeal are unmatched. Most of his followers consist of cultists and mutants. We as his inner circle have however chosen to stay, not because of particular loyalty, but out of personal interest. The spoils of war on the hunt are vast as the Ardent Watch loyalists are known for extensive use of relics and artefacts. And it amuses us greatly to follow Tharos' fate unfold.

Our Cult Network Intelligence has tracked Priory's Warship orbit a distant paradise world. The Horde of the Bellower has started to teleport troops upon it's surface. On behalf of our master we descended to marshal the operation and to pinpoint his nemesis' location. The infiltration was complete. The sinister devices were in place. It would soon be time for Tharos' Dark Vengeance."