Chapters Tyranus swung his axes down gunning the micro-engines to full capacity as flesh and bone were cleaved from the guardsmen. Tyranus roared through his vox grill as blood and flesh spattered onto his armor adding to the already immense amount of gore covering the World Eater champion.
The chunks of flesh left slumped to the ground in a pile of human detritus. Tyranus stepped forward smashing what was left of the guardsmen into the radioactive dirt of the planet’s surface.
Tyranus roared his rage at the regiment of guardsmen that cowered and fled from the massive chaos marine. Tyranus raised his axes and charged into the fleeing guardsmen. The armored giant leapt into the air and came down amongst the ranks of tiny pathetic humans smashing several of their number beneath his massive armored boots. Tyranus began to lay about with his massive chainaxes slamming the whirring blades into anything within reach.
“Lord Tyranus.” The vox bead hissed into Tyranus’s ear. Tyranus ignored the query from his subordinate as the tiny men died beneath his axes.
Tyranus slowed and began panting as another flood of combat stimulates flooded his system and the implant in his forehead maxed out his brain and made his mind scream. Despite the assault on his system from within Tyranus managed to calm himself enough to attend to his subordinate.
“Report.” Tyranus growled into the vox bead. He heard bolter fire and screams of rage.
“Lord Tyranus we have made entry into the base. Resistance is light.” Tyranus’s second in command Malgath said. Tyranus nodded.
Tyranus dropped his axes to the dusty ground as he approached the rear wall of the fortress. The axes were pulled to his hips by the chains attached at the base of each axe. He was flanked by his two Terminator armored guards. Malgath was just a ruse for Tyranus to come in through the back.
Tyranus was no siege master like his brothers in the fourth legion. Perturabo’s moody brood were excellent in bringing down fortresses as short a time as possible. Tyranus, however, believed in a different form of warfare. He approached the wall.
“I need a door.” He ordered. One of his Terminators stepped forward, chainfist roaring. The Terminator slammed the chainfist into the rockcrete wall throwing up dust and ripping whole chunks from the wall.
Within a few minutes there was a hole massive enough for both of the Terminators to walkthrough abroad. Tyranus strolled into the fortress his eyes moving about searching for targets.
Tyranus stepped within the fortress. Even through his helmet he could smell the fear and sweat coming off of the men still left inside.
Tyranus marched through the facility passing barracks and empty facilities marked with the sign of the Omnissiah. Tyranus was after one thing buried deep beneath the soil of this backwater planet.
A tech priest slithered into sight moving quickly. He was equipped with several mechadendrites which it used to move itself around. The tech priest was being closely followed by several heavy skitarii forces that were outfitted with massive weapons and their legs replaced with treads.
Tyranus screamed and charged. He reached down and grasped both of his axes and gunned the engines. The skitarii turned to slowly as Tyranus slammed into the first one knocking it to the ground. The tech priest turned and let out a burst of code from its vox covered mouth.
Tyranus ignored the tech priest as it was torn apart by heavy bolter fire. Tyranus ripped into the skitarii spreading their milky white, nutrient paste around like a hurricane of bones and metal.
The skitarii died without firing a shot. Tyranus dropped his axes again and fell to his knees as his implant burned causing his sight to go red. Tyranus panted, his chest heaved with effort causing the servo-muscles in his armor to flex to and whir with his erratic breathing. Blood pounded into his ears as both of his hearts pounded from being flooded from combat stimulants and his implants angry behavior.
Tyranus stood his breathing still coming in ragged and heaving. He began moving again. Tyranus reached up and disengaged his helmet seals; he wanted to smell this place.
The World Eater’s face was a story in and of itself as it was covered in scars that he had earned all the way from the Great Eye to the Palace of Terra. He had shaved his head bare. His left eye was dead and mimicked the color of milk. He bared his teeth as he looked about taking in his surroundings unaugmented.
Tyranus handed his helmet back to one of his Terminators. The Terminator accepted the helmet and mag-locked his champion’s armor to his thigh. It was an honor to carry Lord Tyranus’s armor.
The World Eater champion sniffed the air. He could smell everything now. The old sweaty rockrete that was broken apart in some places and leaking in others, old rust from rotting pipes, blood and sweat, humans and their disgusting habits when they are near each other. Anti-sceptic, cleaning fluids, oil, priests. Tyranus closed his eyes and took in a deep whiff. Priests, they had their own smell, something between holy and dead that Tyranus couldn’t quite explain. He opened his eyes and began running, the servo-muscles grinding and whirring in his ancient armor.
The smell was getting thicker as Tyranus came across a set of large stairs that led down to a massive vault door. Tyranus snarled as his vox bead crackled.
“Lord Tyranus.” Came the query again.
“What Malgath!” the World Eater snarled.
“We are making our way through the fortress. We’re beginning to see skitarii forces, heading for your location.” Malgath updated his commander.
Tyranus made his way down the stairs followed closely by his Terminators. Boots clunked and smashed their way down the rockrete steps until Tyranus reached the door.
He turned to the small screen with a rune pad that was obviously the way to open the door. He studied the rune pad. He did not have much time to study as behind him he heard a burst of machine code.
Tyranus whipped his head around to see another skitarii unit led by yet another tech priest. The priest had a massive robe covering its huge form. Several mechadendrites and even a massive combat harness hung from the priest’s massive frame. Tyranus could make out four massive green lights that danced in a circle, focusing in on Tyranus.
“You’ll never open that door World Eater. You and your scum must leave this place before you desecrate it with your filth.” Tyranus cringed as his implant began burning within his mind and his armor flooded his system with combat stims.
“Bring him to me alive.” He growled to his Terminators. The two Terminators turned like two hulking avatars of death and began to slowly lumber their way up the steps to the new arrivals.
The skitarii opened fire upon the hulking Terminators. The armored giants shrugged off bolts and las-fire like rain off of steel. It was almost laughable to see how brutally the sluggish behemoths began to tear the skitarii apart.
Tyranus watched as the Terminators cut a swath through the tech warriors heading straight for the massive tech priest. Milky white nutrient fluid flowed like water over the steps forming tiny waterfalls behind the two giants.
The tech priest raised up preparing to strike when he was struck in the side of the head by a bolt from an ancient bolter, Tyranus lowered his bolter as he watched the Terminators scoop up the priest.
The machine priest struggled against the vice-like grip of the Terminators. Machine code spilled from its mouth sounding orders at dead troops.
The Terminators brought their prize to their lord like good dogs. Tyranus wrapped his massive, armored hand around the back of the tech priest’s head. As massive as the tech priest was it was still miniscule compared to the champion of the Blood God.
“Open it.” Tyranus commanded. The priest reached out with its mechadendrites trying to seize the champion. Tyranus slammed the priest’s head into the armored door. The mechadendrites did not give up immediately. Tyranus slammed the priest into the door two more times and the mechadendrites fell.
“Open it.” Tyranus commanded again. One mechadendrite flittered over to the rune pad and tapped in the entry code.
With the final tap the massive door began to shift. Tyranus crushed the priest’s skull in his hand in a burst of failing machine code and oil. Tyranus dropped the dead priest and followed the massive door as it opened slowly. The door slid back fully to reveal a massive chamber beyond.
The chamber went on for kilometers lighted above with massive lights that spread over the ceiling. The floor and walls were covered with steel covered rockrete. Tyranus’s boots rang off of the steel echoing throughout the chamber.
The chamber itself was filled with massive, upright, clear Lucite containers each filled dozens and dozens of precious geneseed. Tyranus walked up to the first one and placed his hands on the tank feeling the potential within.
His implant began to burn again and his system was overloaded with combat stimulants. Tyranus pulled his head back and slammed his massive scarred face into the container causing cracks to appear along the surface.
Tyranus reared his head back again and slammed his face repeatedly into the surface. The cracks grew until the Lucite began to split and clear fluid began to pour out. Tyranus pulled his hands back and formed a fist. He slammed his fist into the container and the container burst apart from the force.
The genesee poured out onto the cold steel floor. Tyranus leaned down and picked up one of the organs. He could feel the power within and he heard a whisper in his ear from somewhere beyond the realm of mortal ken.
Tyranus brought the organ up to his mouth and bit into it. He tasted the flesh as he swallowed the meat of the geneseed feeling the power fall into him. Tyranus devoured the organ ravenously.
“My Lord.” Malgath came over the vox.
“Yes Malgath, what now?” Tyranus asked impatiently.
“We have cleared out most of the enemy forces.” Malgath said. Tyranus ignored his second in command. He could feel the power of the geneseed roiling within him. The whispers grew louder and he could feel the fabric of reality begin to thin.
“Malgath, hurry, your slothfulness is abhorrent and I will personally flay you if you are not here within ten minutes.” Tyranus said into the vox. Malgath did not answer which was better for Tyranus as he felt the pull of the warp continue to grow.
Suddenly there was a tearing sound. It was comparable to a thousand shreds of parchment and a thousand steel I-beams being ripped apart at once and repeatedly for millennia to come.
Tyranus fell to the ground his eyes began to roll into the back of his head and he began to convulse. The Terminators stepped forward seeing their lord’s life signs go off of the scale. All they could was watch as their lord convulsed on the floor.
Tyranus looked about himself. He stood alone in a field. The field was desolate and brutal. The sky overhead was filled with clouds the color of copper that mirrored the color of the field. Tyranus stepped forward kicking up dust. He looked down and saw a skull. He knelt down and picked up the skull and inspected it.
It was the size of an average human skull nothing especially significant about it. Tyranus began to tighten his hand around the skull. The skull would not break. Tyranus squeezed harder but the skull would not give. Tyranus dropped the skull to the dust covered ground and stomped his massive armored boot down onto the bone.
There was a loud bang as the skull was forced down into the dirt. Tyranus raised his boot to see the skull buried up to its eye sockets in the ground. Tyranus bent down and pulled the skull from the ground. He inspected it again and still found nothing extraordinary about it other than its seemingly indestructible nature.
Tyranus dropped the skull and fell to his knees as his implant began burning within his mind and images of blood and fire came to the fore of his mind. Tyranus screamed aloud.
“Blood for the Blood God!” Tyranus screamed at the top of his lungs as the images ran through his mind and the whispers at the back of his mind turned into screams.
Tyranus felt his very being come under attack from an unseen force. His body was being torn asunder from within and without. Tyranus screamed as his implant burned within his mind. Blood began to pour from every orifice on his head pouring down his armor and began to pool around his feet.
Tyranus continued to scream as the ground split. From the ground a massive hand rose up. The hand was the color of rust and each digit ended in a massive claw the color of the starless void. The hand held itself upright to reveal the palm to Tyranus.
Tyranus felt the implant in his forehead continue to burn as the palm peeled away to reveal a massive red eye that stared at him. The screams began to die down and a singular voice entered his mind.
You have appeased the Blood God champion. He has deemed you worthy of a gift . The hand spoke to Tyranus in a voice that held the power to crush souls and sunder cities. Tyranus knew that this was only a fraction of the daemon that lay beneath the ground. The sky split open and blood began to pour from the sky. The implant in Tyranus’s mind continued to burn hotter and hotter as its functionality was tested.
The massive hand pulled back into the ground as blood began to flow out of the massive crack that had come from its summoning. The blood deepened and deepened as it continued to fall from the sky and pour from the ground itself.
Tyranus continued to scream as his implant burned like a small star in his mind. The blood had finally risen up to his neck but he didn’t notice as the implant grew hotter and hotter and his screams grew louder. The blood finally overtook him as the implant burned out completely and sent him into a spiraling oblivion.
Tyranus awoke with a start aboard his ship. He looked around and saw that he was in the Apothecarion. Tyranus felt disgust at being taken to this place. This was where warriors and brothers came to die, not when they still lived.
Tyranus threw his legs over the side and his armored boots hit the deck. He rose to his full height and breathed in deeply. He would’ve expected his implant to flood his system and burn his mind but nothing happened. Tyranus didn’t pay much attention to it.
Tyranus noticed that the lights had been dimmed. A mortal would have been blind but it was no problem for an Adeptus Astartes one of the might legionnaires of legend.
Tyranus began to make his way to the portal to the corridor. Tyranus put his hand up to open the door. The red light above the door flashed for a moment and went dead. Tyranus felt his anger flare and smashed his hand into the rune pad. A servitor’s voice came over the internal ship vox.
Emergency lockdown protocol . Was what it began to say over and over again. Tyranus roared and leapt up to grab the vox speaker. The World Eater ripped the speaker down and smashed it against the deck.
From behind Tyranus heard some equipment shift. He whirled about and reached for his axes. Both of the weapons were missing the links connecting the axes were smashed. Tyranus reached down to his boot and found that his combat knife was missing as well.
“Show yourself coward!” the champion bellowed. He heard another shift and what sounded like tiny hooves running about on the deck. Tyranus began to move deeper back into the Apothecarion shifting and looking into the shadows trying to find what exactly was in here with him.
“Heeeerrrrreeeee’sssss PINKIE!” a tiny voice called from above. Tyranus raised his gaze up but was too late as a fast moving pink blur hit him in the face. Tyranus swatted at the blur but missed.
“Hey, hey, hey, hey.” The blur kept shouting as it moved about his armor dancing and jumping in a whirlwind of excited energy. Tyranus swung out and finally caught the blur.
The little ball of energy finally revealed itself. The thing was a tiny horse that fit rather well into his gauntlet. The horse was pink and had a frilly mane with bright blue eyes. The horse had a smile on its face showing steel colored teeth that were filed to a point and stained with blood.
“Hey!” the horse exclaimed at Tyranus. The high pitched voice had begun to grate on Tyranus’s nerves. “Are you Tyranus?” the horse asked. Before Tyranus could answer the horse had managed to free itself and was back to bouncing around on his armor. Tyranus began swatting at the horse again.
“If you’re Tyranus, I’m supposed to be your little helper now. That’s what lord Khorne said. He told me to come help Tyranus, I already ate someone named Malgath, he was tasty!”
The horse landed spread eagle on the top of his bald head.
“My name is Pinkie Pie! Are you Tyranus? If you’re not I’m going to have to eat you but if you are then I’m your new friend!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed in pure enigmatic joy.
Tyranus reached up and plucked the small horse from his head.
“I am Tyranus.” The champion told the small horse. Pinkie Pie smiled and held out her forearms and flailed her legs quickly trying to reach Tyranus. “What are you trying to do?” he asked the small horse.
“I’m trying to hug you silly!” Pinkie said still smiling showing her pointed steel teeth. Tyranus frowned at the horse.
“Do not hug me.” Tyranus growled.
“But why?” Pinkie asked.
“I do not hug.”
“But why.”
“Because I do not.”
“When was the last time you hugged someone?” Pinkie asked the World Eater. Tyranus was in no mood.
“Are you really the gift from the Blood God?” he asked the small horse. The horse smiled brighter.
“I am, and I have something to give you too!” she exclaimed and once again managed to wiggle her way free of Tyranus’s grip and jump up onto his head. She took one tiny hoof and touched it to his cheek. His flesh lit up and began to burn where the hoof touched his skin.
Tyranus screamed as his flesh was seared. The horse removed her tiny hoof with a fit of laughter.
“Why are you screaming silly, it’s only the mark of Khorne.” She said as she hopped off of Tyranus’s shoulder happily and began to cartwheel about the Apothecarion with delight.
Tyranus held a hand up to his face and felt the mark burned into his flesh and relaxed some as he watched the small pink horse prance about the Apothecarion.
He finally got the chance to take in her full appearance. Not only was she pink but she was wearing an odd little robe that was the color of blood and was embossed with a black colored symbol of Khorne.
“Pinkie Pie.” Tyranus grumbled. The Pink horse stopped her shenanigans and quickly climbed her way up and hopped her way over to Tyranus’s shoulder.
“Yes master?” she asked sitting patiently on her haunches looking up at Tyranus with a giant smile.
“Just sit there.” Tyranus ordered the little horse.
“Okay!” Pinkie exclaimed.
“And silence yourself.” Tyranus ordered. Pinkie nodded and drew her hoof across her mouth like a zipper. Tyranus let her sit on his shoulder as he turned back to the door. He took an armored hand and flattened it and stabbed it between the two opening shutters. He used his strength aided by the fiber-bundle muscles in his armor helped him spread the doors.
Soon enough the door was open wide enough for Tyranus to squeeze through sideways. Tyranus forced his bulk through the half-opened door with Pinkie still on his shoulder.
Tyranus aligned himself in lit corridor. Pinkie looked about excitedly but remained silent as per her orders.
Tyranus began to make his way to the bridge. The vox speakers crackled to life.
Brace for impact, brace for impact.
The message repeated itself over and over again. Tyranus stopped in his tracks. He was disarmed and his ship was about to be struck. The klaxon wailed repeatedly and emergency teams of half starved slaves and daemon overseers made their ways to their battle stations.
Battle brothers in full war gear sprinted to ready stations. Tyranus began sprinting for the bridge.
He came to the massive door and slammed the release to open the portal. Tyranus came onto the bridge and was met with a familiar sight of slaves chained to monitors and servitors hardwired into sensors.
“Report!” Tyranus demanded.
“Imperials Lord!” The one and only unchained officer said looking up from a monitor and saluting his lord.
Tyranus growled angrily and felt his armor flood his system with combat stimulants but his implants still refused to burn his mind into the red rage he had come to be so familiar with. Pinkie Pie hopped up and down excitedly trying not to speak. She climbed up and put her mouth to Tyranus’s ear.
“Master, can I eat these Imperials?” she asked quietly but excitedly. Tyranus didn’t look at the little horse that was supposedly Khorne’s gift to him.
“Yes, Pinkie, you can eat all of the Imperials you want.” He answered her impatiently. Pinkie clapped her hooves together and continued to bounce around on Tyranus’s massive shoulder.
Tyranus refused to sit in his throne knowing that Imperials were on their way.
“Specifics.” Tyranus demanded. The unchained officer looked back to the screen his eyes moving quickly over the information.
“Adeptus Astartes Lord Tyranus.” He answered without looking up at his lord. Tyranus clenched his fist.
“Space marines.” He hissed. He heard two stomping gaits come from behind. “Nice to see you two here.” Tyranus said addressing his bodyguards. Tyranus flipped about to see one of the Terminators holding a chainaxe out. Tyranus grabbed the axe by the handle as the ship began to shake.
Hull breach! Hull breach! Prepare to repel boarders! Prepare to repel boarders!
Tyranus sneered and pushed his way past the Terminators.
Pinkie Pie had lost interest and was busying herself climbing about his armor like an ape swinging from the skulls that hung from his belt. She giggled with glee exposing her steel teeth.
The ship continued to shudder from the impacts of boarding torpedoes that were unleashing enemy troops into the bowels of his ship. Depending on how deeply they were unleashed they might not make it up here considering some of the daemons that lurked on the lower decks. That still left the heroes with delusions of grandeur of taking a chaos crewed ship.
Tyranus would’ve demanded some sort of status report from Malgath but Pinkie had supposedly consumed him and the annoying Lieutenant hadn’t reported in so Tyranus was inclined to believe what was supposed to be a tiny pink daemon that was enjoying climbing and dancing about on his armor.
As Tyranus came around the corner of a corridor he witnessed blue armored marines at the other end. Both of the Terminators raised their heavy weapons and fired taking some of the Imperial marines by surprise.
The marines took what cover they could and began to return fire. Tyranus disregarded all personal safety and charged the marines. Pinkie on his shoulder roared out and leapt from her perch.
Tyranus had never seen something move so quickly as the little pink daemon hopped from wall to wall heading for the Emperor’s lapdogs. Pinkie continued to roar as she came to the first enemy. She latched onto the blue marine’s faceplate and began to gnaw on the ceramite. Her teeth cut through the ceramite like so much parchment the imperial began to scream as her teeth bit down into his skull.
Pinkie latched onto an incoming hand and began gnawing away on his fingers like they were tasty treats. She ripped his fingers off one by one with the sound of ripping ceramite and snapping bones.
Pinkie leapt from the marine’s hand back to his face and latched back on and began tearing his flesh from his face. The marine continued to scream and fell to his knees as Pinkie managed to make her way into his helmet and began chewing her way into his brain.
The blue colored marine flopped around on the floor and convulsed for a few seconds before stopping abruptly. Pinkie crawled back out. By this time the bolter fire had stopped to watch the tiny daemon work on her victim.
“Mmm, juicy.” She said licking her lips. Tyranus laughed, he was going to like this little daemon. The Terminators opened fire again taking some more of the shocked marines off-guard and Pinkie once again leapt to a new foe to once again burrow into another brain.
Tyranus charged down the corridor chainaxe screaming. He met his first opponent who had come out from cover to meet the champion head on with a chainsword in one hand and a bolt pistol in the other.
Tyranus swung his axe and the strike was caught on the sword. The teeth spun against each other causing the micro-engines to buzz and smoke as they fought each other. The imperial brought his pistol to bear on Tyranus. Tyranus dropped his axe and delivered a massive uppercut to the imperials head. Ceramite met ceramite with a loud crack. The imperial reeled stepping backward creating some distance. Tyranus was about to attack his opponent when the imperial began to scream loudly and tried to reach around behind him.
The man fell over forward with a small hole in his back where a small pink, fluffy tail disappeared into it. Tyranus began to laugh as Pinkie pie popped her head out of collar of the dying marine. She reared up and smiled. She was entirely covered in blood and gore which dripped off of her like a small red rain cloud. She jumped up onto Tyranus’s shoulder.
“This is so much fun!” Pinkie exclaimed. Tyranus looked down to where the rest of the imperial squad had been decimated by either heavy bolter fire or Pinkie Pie making a meal of them.
Tyranus began to chuckle. Pinkie hugged the side of Tyranus’s head. She pulled back and looked ashamed.
“Is it okay if I hug you master?” she asked innocently. Tyranus smiled sadistically.
“Yes Pinkie, you can hug me.” Tyranus said. For once the World Eater might actually enjoy part of his existence.
Author's Note
First ever one shot wrote it kind of late but I thought the idea would be kind of funny. Hope you enjoy!
Tyranus and his daemon Pinkie Pie cleared through the ship destroying everything in their path. Pinkie tore the marines apart with her teeth and Tyranus with his axe. They left behind them a trail of blood and armor that was impressive to behold.
Tyranus was heaving as his axe ground down to a halt. Pinkie pranced about around his feet dripping blood as she danced and sang happily. The song she was singing was some odd little ditty about a blood covered cupcake. Tyranus had no idea what a cupcake was but the song was rather entertaining especially the chorus which described ripping a man’s entrails out and twirling them about like two gore-streaked ribbons.
Tyranus stepped into a corridor that had lost power to the lights. It was no problem for him to see but Pinkie stopped moving and spoke.
“Where’d the light go?” she asked Tyranus climbing up to his knee and gripping his armor plate. Tyranus ignored her and moved into the corridor. He had left behind his Terminator retinue to protect the bridge in case one of the blue armored marines from a chapter the Tyranus did not know. He moved slowly through the corridor he could see an intersection coming up. He gunned his axe listening to the motor grind as meat was pushed through the belt and ground up the human remains gumming the engine and slowing the teeth.
Tyranus came up to the intersection and slowed his pace. There was no sound except for Tyranus’s heavy breathing and the sound of his boot steps off of the deck. The champion turned his head first left then right and didn’t spot any danger. The world eater relaxed for a breath and picked his pace back up and continued on his way.
Tyranus whirled about as he heard Pinkie’s high pitched roar and a scream that was gargled by a vox grille. Tyranus couldn’t make out anything but he sprinted his way back to the intersection and turned his head towards the sound of combat.
He witnessed a loyalist marine lying face down in a growing pool of blood as the backpack on his armor began sliding off and fiber-bundle muscles growled and screeched as sparks flew out of joints. The man continued to scream as a hole was drilled into the bottom of his back plate and a tiny horse popped her head out with a sadistic smile. The marine continued to struggle. The imperial’s bolter lay not a foot in front of him. He reached a hand out to grab it but was stopped as Pinkie crawled out and sat down on his hand. She began to lick the blood from her fur as she looked at the marine.
“Do you know what skulls are for?” she asked innocently as she pulled part of her mane down and began to suck on it to get at the blood.
“D-d-daem-daemon.” The blue marine gurgled staring at the small gift from the blood god that sat on his gauntlet.
“Skulls are for Khorne you silly.” Pinkie giggled. She flattened her body and rolled off of the left. She landed on the deck and launched herself at the loyalist’s faceplate. The incapacitated marine was helpless and Pinkie Pie burrowed her way through his eye lens causing the marine to begin screaming again. Tyranus laughed, it was a hoarse dry sound that sounded wrong coming from the throat of the blood-soaked berserker.
Tyranus could make out muffled giggling coming from somewhere inside of the dead marine. Armor plates shifted and moved as Pinkie burrowed her way through the dead flesh consuming the dead marine’s body as she went. Tyranus could hear bones crunch and tendons snap and a quite repetition of ‘omnomnomnom’.
Tyranus pulled his gaze from Pinkie’s feasting and checked his surroundings again.
“Pinkie.” Tyranus said. The pink little daemon jumped out of an armor plate with a ‘pop’ bouncing into the air.
“Yes master?” she asked happily. She was once again covered from head to hoof in dripping blood and larraman cells and her robes were utterly ruined from a dozen different snags on broken bones and armor fragments.
“Come, you can finish eating later.” Tyranus said. Pinkie jumped up and dashed over to her master’s boot and leapt onto one of the bronze chains that held a skull. She giggled and snorted as the skull swung back and forth as Tyranus strode through the darkened corridor.
The World Eater encountered no more resistance as he walked about his ship looking for intruders behind every bulkhead. If he did meet resistance he was unconcerned as his new little companion could apparently take care of anything in his way without him having to lift a finger.
Tyranus eventually made his way back to the bridge.
“Damage report.” The massive champion commanded. The bridge was a flurry of activity as his words rang out. The unnamed and unchained bridge officer moved towards a terminal and looked over the shoulder of a servitor that was hardwired into its system.
“Hull breaches on decks five, eleven, and two in the engineering decks 2B and 4C lord.” Tyranus walked to his command throne and sat down heavily his blood finally beginning to calm. He dropped his axe against the side of the seat. The metal clanged onto the deck. Blood spilled out of the weapon as well as chunks of flesh and bone.
Pinkie leapt from Tyranus’s shoulder and began to lap up the blood with a happy expression. She picked up a chunk of meat the size of her head. She unhinged her jaw like a serpent showing her steel teeth and swallowed the human remains in one bite.
“Come Pinkie.” Tyranus commanded. Pinkie left her meal on the floor and bounded her way up the throne and onto Tyranus’s shoulder.
“Yes master?” she asked eager to please. Tyranus was still somewhat confused by the small daemon. She was incredibly bright and happy to the point of what appeared to be insanity. It was common amongst the number of Khorne’s chosen warriors but this was something unique and Tyranus had never heard of a daemon or entity of the warp like this before.
“Be still daemon.” Tyranus commanded once again. Pinkie nodded and settled herself down. She curled up into a little pink ball and began to snore quietly. Tyranus ignored the little daemon as he smelled the excess blood on the floor and his hearts began to race again.
“Slave.” Tyranus growled. A blinded and robed slave broke away from the wall of the bridge and fell to its knees in deference. It crawled its way to its master’s feet. Tyranus looked down and sneered at the slave. The slave’s skin was scabbed and scarred from the multiple beatings and fights that the slaves often participated in as an act of some hierarchy. The slave didn’t speak but waited for his commands.
“My new companion has had her robe ruined in the slaughter. Bring her a new one.” The slave nodded its head showing that the slave understood and crawled backwards away from its lord and master until it had reentered the shadows of its domain where it stood and scurried off to find new garments for Pinkie Pie. Tyranus tensed up again. Where there were boarding torpedoes there was a ship to fire them.
“Where is the enemy ship?” Tyranus asked without shifting his eyes from his boots that sat in the pool of drying blood that had left his axe.
Stations and servitors began to click and buzz as sensors on the ship began searching for the enemy ship.
“All scanners show no contacts lord.” Came the reply.
“Impossible!” Tyranus roared. “Find me a ship now or your head will find its place on my belt!” Pinkie shifted on his shoulder her nap disturbed by Tyranus’s outburst. The tiny horse shifted a bit and went back to snoring quietly. The presence of the daemon had a calming influence on the World Eater.
From behind the throne Tyranus could hear scraping and shuffling. He did not deign to turn his head as the slave crawled its way back to his boot. The slave kissed its master’s boot and held up a new miniature robe for Pinkie Pie. It was an exact duplicate of the shredded one she wore now. Tyranus looked to the sleeping Pinkie.
“Awaken, you’ve new garments to adorn yourself with.” The champion said. Pinkie pushed herself up and yawned. She opened her eyes excitedly.
“I do?” she asked filled with bubbly delight. Tyranus nodded and indicated the slave. Pinkie squealed with delight and ripped the blood-soaked cloth from her body and leapt from Tyranus’s shoulder and landed on the top of the slave’s head. She swiped the robe from the slave’s grip and slipped it over her head. She smiled widely showing her teeth.
The little daemon opened her tiny maw and bit down into the slave’s neck. The slave let out a wail of pain as Pinkie dug into its flesh. Tyranus kicked out with his massive boot smashing into the slave’s skull with a crack sending the slave sprawling away from the champion’s throne. No matter how entertaining it would be to watch Pinkie clean the flesh from the slave Tyranus needed to focus on the impending battle of the void.
He had the one unchained officer to deal with most things to include battles that dealt with the slow and graceful dance of void warfare. He used to have a whole staff of officers, Astartes officers. Tyranus watched as the bridge officers worked. The links of their chains clanked as fingers moved up and down rune keys trying to find the enemy ship that was supposedly not there. Tyranus seethed internally.
There was obviously an Adeptus Astartes ship out their somewhere no ship would leave its troops to die on an enemy ship.
“Signature found Lord!” The unchained officer announced looking over the shoulder of yet another servitor. “They released their payload and then headed for the nearest planet to hide on the dark side.” The office stood and came to attention as he gave his report. Tyranus grumbled.
“Kill it.” He stated.
“Yes lord.” The officer answered.
Tyranus’s ship was a relic from the ages of Heresy when civil war raged across the galaxy. The ship had been a gift from the Primarch just before the events in the sands of Istvaan. The ship was a beautiful thing really. Long spires like cathedrals to the dark gods sprouted along the length. Up the spine weapon systems bristled showing the ship’s teeth. Tyranus had taken one look at the beautiful ship and said it reminded him of a dying star, quite introspective for one of Angron’s berserkers. Tyranus had named her Red Star.
The imperial ship hove into view of the Red Star firing her weapons. The unchained officer began issuing orders.
“Shields now!” the officer yelled as torpedoes and beams from lances seared across the void.
Tyranus watched as he left the fate of his ship and his life up to a mortal. His armor fed combat stimulants into his system causing his hearts to begin beating faster and faster causing his blood to pound in his ears blocking out all sound besides the whispers in his mind which mocked him.
Veins began to stick out across Tyranus’s bald head. The veins became so thick as to appear black. As his system became overloaded from the stimulants and his face began to turn purple as rage filled his being and overloaded his mind with thoughts of fire and blood.
Then the champion felt two small pokes on his cheek. He turned his head to see Pinkie Pie sitting upon his shoulder smiling up at him. She was devoid of any human remains and her smile reflected the light with her teeth. Tyranus began to feel the rage dissipate slowly as he looked into her smiling blue eyes.
“Look what I made!” she exclaimed holding something bone colored between her forelegs. Tyranus’s held out his gauntleted hand and accepted the gift. He held the small gift between his thumb and forefinger to inspect it.
It was a section of skull that had been cut out and chewed into a mark of Khorne. There was a small loop on the top of the mark which was threaded with an incredibly long tendon that would fit over Tyranus’s head. The World Eater smiled.
“Thank you Pinkie.” Tyranus growled out. Pinkie clapped her hooves together in excitement. Tyranus heard scraping against the deck behind and turned his head further to watch two slaves drag away the bone remains of their comrade minus a section of its skull.
“Shields up!” came the call just before the ship was rocked again from impact.
“Shields holding!”
“Retaliation sent!”
“Direct hit!”
The calls and commands dissolved into background noise to Tyranus as he placed his new mark of Khorne over his head and let the bone charm clack against his armor.
The little daemon bounced up and down excitedly as she watched the chaos of the bridge.
“What’s happening master?” she asked.
“We are fighting.” Tyranus answered simply.
“Who I don’t see anybody?” The little daemon began looking around actually searching for a foe.
“They are out there in the void Pinkie.” Tyranus said. There were no viewports on the bridge but instead a massive view screen that showed the void from several angles. Pinkie sat up.
“Ooh,” she pointed wither hoof. “Do you mean out there?” The main viewer lit up as the enemy ship exploded.
“Target destroyed.” The unnamed officer announced. Tyranus studied the debris displayed on the screen. He did not congratulate the officer. It was his job and he had done it. Had he not done it then his soul would become one of the many daemon’s playthings that dwelt within the warp. The officer could not hope for a better afterlife so the longer he kept himself alive the better in his eyes.
“Take us to the Eye.” Tyranus commanded. The officer assented and began barking out orders. The ship began undergoing preparations for its leap into the warp. The geller field was deployed and all view ports shuttered closed. Docking bays were locked down and personnel made their way to their quarters. Tyranus sat in his throne and brooded as his new daemon continued to move about humming to herself.
Tyranus closed his eyes and prepared to do what he could to rest his body when another klaxon began to wail. The officer checked another screen.
“New contact lord Tyranus!” he yelled out. Tyranus’s eyes slowly peeled open.
“What is this new threat?” he asked through his teeth. He did not feel particularly pleased with another void battle that he would not partake in and possibly lose his ship and his life.
“They’re hailing us sir. The ship appears to be of the Black Legion. Should I open communications?”
“Audio only.” Tyranus commanded.
There were a few taps of keys and an audible snap as the link established itself.
“Son of Angron.” Came a deep and foreboding voice thick with age and revulsion over the vox.
“Speak your piece and leave me whelp.” Tyranus answered the Legionnaire.
“Is that any way to speak to an emissary from the Warmaster?”
“What does that dog want with me? I am above his concerns and his ever failing attempts at glory.”
“He would have words with you World Eater, you and your new little friend.”
Tyranus looked down at Pinkie who was completely oblivious to the goings-on around her as she continued to humming and singing as she hopped over and around Tyranus’s head and slid up and down the various spikes and chains that adorned Tyranus’s armor.
“Fine.” Tyranus said. “But be warned worm, I will tolerate no foolishness or tedious ceremony on your part.”
All that answered the champion was the sound of the link going dead.
Author's Note
You asked so I deliver. Hopefully you enjoy it as much as the first chapter.
Red Star tore from the warp with a scream. The hole in reality snapped shut reluctantly as the chaos ship burst forth into the empty void.
“Contacts!” yelled the bridge officer dashing from monitor to monitor. “A count of eight lord Tyranus!” Tyranus felt his hearts begin to beat faster; he hadn’t expected Horus’s failed sons to be so hell bent on killing him.
“Prepare to engage.” Tyranus ordered. The unchained officer began to issue orders in the form of threats and demands bringing up the weapons systems on the battle barge.
“Incoming message lord.” Croaked a servitor.
“On screen.” Tyranus commanded curiously. Four of the view screens blanked for a moment and then relit with an image of a disgusting and distorted face surrounded by black and green armor.
“Always like a World Eater to shoot first and never ask questions later.” The face said. The lips parted and puss oozed out from cracks and breaks. Tyranus could see the teeth behind the lips which were black with rot and gapped. A swollen purple tongue writhed in that disgusting maw that oozed dark saliva filled with acid, and plague.
Tyranus felt reviled as he looked upon this walking pustule.
“And what would a walking corpse care about the way I carry my battles?” The World Eater asked menacingly.
“You’ve targeted my ship you blood soaked buffoon.” The rotten marine chastised.
“What of it? I’m being cautious after all. Or is your brain so filled with disease that you cannot comprehend that?” Tyranus sneered at the screen. With a chopping motion the bridge officer cut the link. Tyranus growled, seething internally at this new development.
“Who is out there?” he demanded. The bridge became another flurry of activity as servitors and officers began identifying the ships around them. Pinkie crawled on top of the Tyranus’s head and lay spread eagle with her face just over his forehead.
“What’s wrong master?” she asked him innocently.
“I do not like being here. I have a bad feeling is all.” Tyranus answered his daemon.
“Do you want me to eat that big stinky guy master?” she asked.
“Not until I say.” The champion commanded.
“Oh, okay.” She said. Tyranus could hear the disappointment in her voice and felt odd.
“Do not fret.” The World Eater said reaching up and plucking the tiny daemon from his head and placing her in his lap. He reached a finger up and scratched under her chin affectionately. She stretched her head back so he could have access and her rear leg began kicking in pleasure.
Tyranus hadn’t felt this calm in hundreds of years. He could remember back before the betrayal, he and his brothers would celebrate and through raucous occasions where wine would be drunk and songs sung. But at Istvaan that all changed. After having cut down dozens of his own kin Tyranus had not smiled for centuries until now.
“You are a curious thing.” He said continuing to scratch the little daemon about her body. Pinkie rolled over so that Tyranus could rub her belly. The chaos marine’s massive armored finger began to scratch up and down her belly as she continued to kick her leg. Tyranus chuckled as he moved his hand up her body and finished with a quick scratch of her head. Pinkie Pie sat up.
“Lord Khorne said that I was someone else’s idea.” Pinkie said as she rolled up into a little ball to relax on her master’s lap.
“How do you mean?” the World Eater asked.
“He said that he stole the idea from a sorcerer, some Tzzeanchtck guy.” Tyranus raised an eyebrow at the proclamation.
“Interesting.” He said to himself. Soon enough Pinkie was back to sleeping on his lap.
Tyranus watched the view screens as the ships hung in the void. He could make out Stormbirds exiting from one of the ships. The Stormbird signatures were being tracked.
“Another hail Lord Tyranus.” Came the announcement. Tyranus growled. He was growing weary of all of these messages.
“On screen.” He commanded. An image flickered to life over a section of the view screens that showed a helmeted marine painted all black with the hide of a dead beast across his shoulders.
“We come for you, World Eater.” The Black Legionnaire stated. Tyranus scowled at the screen.
“Come then.” He said and cut the link.
Tyranus was not fond of associating with others of this ilk. They were too frivolous with their sense of darkened morals like battle tactics and bickering. Tyranus saw no point to it. If you see an ally you befriend them if only for a short time. If you see a foe you take their head. The useless meetings and planning and discussing, the thought made Tyranus’s head ache at the thought. His implant would’ve added to his already worsening condition but its defunct state meant it would just sit there serving as worse than useless armor at the fore of his mind.
Tyranus stood and grabbed his axe from the side of his throne. Pinkie scrambled as she tumbled from his lap and caught one of the skull dangling from his belt. She climbed up to her perch on his shoulder and sat quietly for once waiting to see what happened.
“Come.” Tyranus spoke into his vox bead. There was no answer as he expected but he knew that his guards were making their way to his location as fast as they could for the fear of dealing with their upset lord.
Tyranus stormed his way through his ship heading for the lift down to the docking bay where he was to meet with the incoming party of Black Legion members. Tyranus felt his hearts begin to beat faster at the thought of the cursed failures on his ship. He would never have agreed to meet with them if not for Pinkie Pie. Her presence was a question he wished to have answered.
Tyranus came to the lift and the doors slid open. He was greeted with the sight of his two Terminator guardians standing their silent vigil as was their duty. Tyranus found little use for words and his Terminators knew that as did the rest of his brothers. That was why his vox bead was silent most of the time. He had little patience for wasteful ceremonies and even less patience for other followers of the dark gods who take their time to honor the gods with some odd ceremony or sacrifice. At the thought of odd ceremonies Tyranus thought of sorcerers and their kind. He sneered at the thought. He held out his armored hand for his helmet. The left guardian handed it to him, the champion mag-locked the armor to his thigh for later when he would need it.
The lift came to a halt and Tyranus stepped off closely followed by his Terminators. The docking bay was filled with servitors and daemons that went about loading and fixing and cleaning various weapons, ships and armor pieces. On the far side were the only two Land Raiders that Tyranus had at his command.
The champion looked out on the void as the Stormbird approached. He watched as the transport came in and landed. The Stormbird was painted to match its owner likeness. Tyranus thought it was ugly. The front ramp descended and four black armored Terminators disembarked and took up defensive positions around the ramp as another of their number came down.
He was clad in black armor as well. His left hand was ensconced in a power fist that doubled the size of his right. Across his shoulders lay a massive, flea infested hide that he wore in mourning of his dead Primarch. Tyranus could smell the marine and he detested it. He smelled too fresh, too sweet. There was no reek of blood about these marines that Tyranus had become so used to.
The Black Legion emissary came to a halt as he stepped off of the ramp.
“World Eater.” He said.
“Whelp.” Tyranus answered. The Black Legionnaire ignored the insult.
“Come with me. Your guardians stay here.” The emissary ordered. Tyranus’s muscles tightened.
“I do not leave this ship without them.” He told the emissary.
“You will not make it out here alive World Eater. Do not let your foolish pride be your downfall.” The emissary said. Tyranus had had little contact with the Black Legion and even less during the great betrayal and the Great Crusade. He was always warned that the Horus’s brood were all self-proclaimed philosophers and geniuses thinking that their words could prevent bloodshed. Regardless Tyranus relented.
“Head to the bridge. If anything should happen destroy the ship they have me on. Take as many as you can.” The Terminator’s silence was all the affirmation he needed as he stepped onto the ramp and up into the Stormbird. The World Eater strapped himself into a seat as the Black Legion Terminators came back aboard and seated themselves around him. Pinkie Pie had remained silent through this whole exchange until now.
She leapt from Tyranus’s shoulder guard onto the nearest Terminator. She jumped down into the legionnaire’s lap and looked up at him and smiled showing her steel teeth.
“I bet you taste good.” She said happily as she snapped her jaws at the Terminator. The massive marine actually flinched away from the tiny pink daemon causing Tyranus to laugh.
“Come Pinkie.” Tyranus commanded. The daemon snapped her jaws at the Terminator again and hopped back to her master’s lap. She crawled up to Tyranus’s shoulder and looked about the compartment. All of the Terminators were staring back at her. Pinkie smiled showing her steel teeth.
“I bet I could eat you all before you even see me!” she exclaimed excitedly as she hopped over Tyranus’s head. “Regular armor isn’t that tasty though, maybe big armor like yours tastes better!”
She jumped down and began to bound off of walls and marines alike stopping at each legionnaire to stand on the ledge provided by their massive chest plate to stare into their eye sockets, she even knocked on a few like on a door. A few of the marines flinched like their companion. They had been warned of the capabilities of this tiny daemon. Pinkie finally came to rest a top the head of the emissary.
“And what’s your name?” she asked as she looked into his eye lens upside down. The emissary reached up to try and flick Pinkie away. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” She said and giggled with delight. “You might lose a finger or even a whole hand!” the hand halted and slowly moved back down to its place.
“I am called Frampton.” He answered. Pinkie held her hooves up to her mouth and giggled.
“That’s a funny name.” She somersaulted over the front of his helmet and landed on the deck on her hooves. She then bounced back up into Tyranus’s lap. “I bet they all taste good.” Pinkie placed her front hooves on Tyranus’s chest plate and looked up at him her eyes growing wide and her lips forming a sad pout. “Can I eat them master please?” she asked innocently. Tyranus smiled and scratched her under her chin.
“Later. Right now they are our allies.” Tyranus looked up at Frampton. “That is, until their true nature shows.” Frampton’s hands curled into fists.
“Do not chastise me World Eater. You are nothing more than a glorified berserker whose brothers can barely retain their sanity. You’re so soaked in blood and blinded by your rage that you cannot even see the great works the Warmaster has created. He commands more now than our father ever did and as his brother I demand that you respect him.” Frampton’s chest heaved as his rage got the better of him. Pinkie Pie had settled onto her haunches to watch Frampton rage. She clapped her hooves happily.
“That was good. Now if only you could do that for a long time then you might be good enough to be one of Khorne’s chosen instead of serving other gods who are weak and don't do anything.”
Frampton lost control of himself and tried to launch himself out of his chair but the restraints pulled him back slamming his armor into the bulkhead with a loud ‘bang'. Pinkie on the other hand was free to roam about and leapt once again from Tyranus’s lap. She sailed across the compartment and landed on Frampton’s head.
Pinkie opened her tiny maw and bit down into the ceramite of Frampton’s ancient helmet. Neither Tyranus nor the Terminators moved to help Frampton as he flailed his limbs about as Pinkie tore his helmet from his head piece by piece.
Frampton tried to swat the tiny daemon away but Pinkie danced away from his incoming hands allowing his strikes to hit his own head. Pinkie continued to pull his helmet away like pieces of eggshell from a hard-boiled egg. She pulled the last piece from his face and hopped down spitting the ceramite out of her teeth. She jumped from the deck and came to rest up in Tyranus’s lap again. Tyranus scratched her head rewarding her like a good minion.
Pinkie looked at Frampton whose face was now naked. The man looked surprisingly young and unscarred. Tyranus narrowed his eyes.
“You are too young a dog to be part of this pack of liars and cowards.” Frampton raised an eyebrow.
“Your meaning?” he asked.
“You’ve not seen the fires of heresy as these others.” Tyranus sniffed. “I thought something smelled wrong about you. Your blood is too fresh your hands don’t move right and you’ve no power sword.” Tyranus pointed out. Frampton looked down at his waste where gladius hung.
“What of it?” he asked defensively. Tyranus was surprised one of the Terminators hadn’t jumped in to defend their brother. The Warmaster’s kin must be even more broken than he thought.
Before Tyranus could answer the Stormbird shook as it passed through the shields of the Black Legion ship.
The massive craft settled and the ramp descended. Tyranus stood and followed the Terminators as they disembarked. Pinkie turned around from her perch to look at the helmetless Frampton. Frampton made eye contact with the daemon she then proceeded to blow a raspberry at him before turning around.
As Tyranus’s boots met the deck of the Black Legion ship he took in his surroundings. The place reeked of the sickly sweet chaos stink that seemed to follow its practitioners around like a disease. The place was dark, the lights having gone out or purposefully broken by some madman. The crew was enormous but silent, each servitor going about its work without looking up from the floor and without making a sound.
Tyranus followed the Terminators into the bowels of the ship. He felt enclosed in the corridors as they moved through the ship. The eight pointed star was everywhere, carved in bulkheads, daubed on the floors and ceiling in blood and feces.
Daemons and crewmen ran about like insects fleeing from their masters in fear. But everywhere was darkness and shadows as if the Black Legion was hiding what they were from themselves by putting it into the shadows.
Tyranus could smell something was wrong with this place and he wished to be aboard his own ship headed for the great eye.
Finally the Terminators halted before a massive door. The door slid apart to allow access. Tyranus didn’t like the eerie glow come from in there. He followed the Terminators into the chamber. He paused as he crossed the threshold.
The chamber was dark except for a massive hololith that produce the only light causing more shadows than actually allowing details to be seen.
The hololith brightened considerably as he approached. He could make out seven forms of marines standing around the hololith all staring at him. The side opposite Tyranus the man spoke. Tyranus knew who the man was even before he spoke. It was hard to forget that massive hand and that ridiculous topknot and the stink the clung to him was powerful.
“Now that our last friend is here we can begin.” Abaddon the Despoiler, Warmaster of the forces of Chaos Undivided said as more lights above them came on to banish the shadows.
Tyranus looked about him at the assembled marines and was surprised at the diversity. The first that caught his eye was unmistakably the rotten marine who had contacted him from before. He was massive decked out in black power armor trimmed in a putrid green. His face was even more horrid to look upon in person as his purple tongue rolled about as if it was its own being and Tyranus realized in horror that is was a group of purple insects that writhed and wriggled about his mouth acting as a tongue for him. Upon his should sat a small horse similar Tyranus’s Pinkie Pie only this creature was orange in color and it was quietly staring at Pinkie Pie unmoving as flies buzzed around its head.
Tyranus shifted his gaze as he could smell warpcrafft. He turned his head left and spotted blue armor the color of a midnight sea. Tyranus was again surprised that it was a Terminator champion. He had never known the warlocks to have Terminators amongst their numbers. The helmet was styled like that of the ancient Gyptian pharos from ancient Terra. The marine held an ornate curved staff in his hand and had a massive tome bound at his waste with gold chain. Upon his shoulder sat a purple horned horse that was glaring at Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie was up on her feet her hackles raised ready to fight the caster’s pet.
Tyranus moved his eyes to take in two purple armored marines on the Abaddon’s right. Both were Emperor’s Children both of their faces were massively scarred and mutilated beyond recognition. One carried a massive hammer and the other a sonic weapon that Tyranus had witnessed tear armored men asunder from one pull of the trigger.
The sonic marine actually had two daemons upon his shoulder. One was the color of ash while the other bright white and had a small horn upon its head. They wore garments that would have been alluring on a human woman and they fondled and kissed each other passionately and loudly as they rolled about their master’s shoulder.
The other marine had a white horned daemon that sat upon his shoulder primping and grooming itself. The daemon sneered at Pinkie Pie and went back to grooming itself and polishing its master’s armor.
Lastly Tyranus came to Abaddon. The Despoilers massive beast hide was ruffling and squeaking as something argued inside of it.
“Come on you scaredypony.” Came the muffled words.
“But they’re so big and scary.”
“You can beat any one of these guys to death now come on.”
Two daemons poked their heads out one carried by the other. Both were winged. One was the blue in color of the bright sky and had a rainbow colored mane. The other was the color of butter with a pink mane. The blue set down the yellow one and sat next to it. Abaddon looked down at them disapprovingly.
“S-sorry master.” The yellow one said throwing its forelegs up over its head.
“Now that we’re all here you can see why I summoned you.” Abaddon began. Tyranus stared at the Despoiler.
He had many titles and names, Despoiler, Warmaster and such. But Tyranus had only one name for Abaddon and his kin: Failure. No matter what Abaddon had done it had gained him little to nothing. The Cadian gate was his largest accomplishment and still nothing was gained. Tyranus was disgusted by this assemblage of warriors led by a man who had done little but stand in his Primarch’s shadow.
“You’ve each been blessed by the gods with these little creatures.” Abaddon waved his massive claw around and then plucked the yellow daemon off of his armor and held it up.
“These daemon’s hold power untold and as true champions of your gods you’ve been blessed to receive them.” Abaddon set down his daemon who went back to hiding behind its hooves.
“I propose a truce-“ Tyranus was already enraged at having to be here but this was too far and his anger got the better of him. He slammed his axe into the hololith causing the display to flicker. He pointed an armored finger at the Thousand Son.
“You want me to ally with a sorcerer! You are more foolish than you appear Despoiler if you think I would let myself fight alongside this weakling!” The Thousand Son looked at Tyranus.
“Do not mock the power of the Great Ocean berserker. Just because your rage blinds you to potential and keeps you ignorant of true power.” Tyranus slammed his axe into the hololith again.
“That is power! You are no more than a conjurer of tricks and follies!” At the World Eater’s words eldritch fire began to burn around the eye lenses of the warlock. His Daemon’s horn lighting up as it prepared to fire beams of energy at the World Eater. There was a sound of bolts falling locking into firing chambers and high whining sound as the sonic weapon came to bear.
The only person who was not tensed was Abaddon.
“Brothers please,” he began. “Let’s lower our weapons and come to an agreement.” Tyranus stared down the Thousand Son. The sorcerer slowly lowered his staff as the light faded from his eyes.
“We can come to a compromise, Angron spawn, if you are willing.” He said. Tyranus locked his axe to his hip. He did not trust sorcerers or any of their kind. Warpcraft was a weak way to kill a foe.
“Possibly.” He growled. Pinkie calmed down a fraction as did the other daemons around the room but they continued to stare at each other in hatred.
“Good.” Abaddon proclaimed as the hololith brought up the outline of a fortress. “Now that that little spat is over we can get down to what I brought you here to do.” Before he could begin one of the Terminators stepped up behind his lord.
“Lord there is an emergency. You are needed on the bridge.” Abaddon scowled.
“Please stay here brother’s. I shall return momentarily.” The Warmaster exited the room and the door clanged shut behind him.
All of the marines turned and stared at one another. The tension was so thick it reverberated like an engine on idle. Then a brooding warrior spoke.
“So you are all champions then are you?” He asked the acid in his voice thick and angry. Tyranus turned to look at him. The marine’s armor was the color of iron with yellow and black chevrons of the Iron warriors a moody and annoying group to say the least. Upon his shoulder rested another orange horse that wore a strange hat upon its small head. The Thousand Son answered him.
“I am glad to be here at least.” He looked to the little daemon. “I was hoping to find some answers about this little one after she was gifted to me in my dream.” He nudged the little daemon with his finger affectionately and she rubbed her neck up and down his hand like a happy and loving cat. The Iron Warrior grunted.
“I did not expect there to be others. And that such as you are blessed makes me question the gods.” From across the way stood a Word Bearer. He wore a corzius Arcanum which was the symbol of his holy office. His face was brutal, unforgiving and hairless covered in scars and runes of the Book of Lorgar. He was squat and thick his neck nearly non-existent in his armor. Upon his shoulder sat a gray horse with a blonde mane. Its eyes looked in different directions and it smiled stupidly at everything.
“Do not speak as if you know the will of the gods you filth. The fact that they blessed you with such as their will is awe inspiring and you should be humble about your gift. Not question their logic to spread their blessings.” The Thousand Son nodded his ascent.
“The Dark Apostle speaks true. Do not think yourself so high as to soar above others.” The Terminator leaned forward trying to intimidate with his size instead of his mind.
Tyranus did his best to ignore the arguing and posturing that was going on around him. He had seen such for millennia now and was tired of it. He had considered many times taking his ship into the nearest system and landing upon a heavily populated world just to bring the imperials to see how long he and his brothers would last, see how many they would take before falling to their deaths and adding their skulls to the throne.
He shook the thoughts from his head. These were not thoughts of one of Khorne’s chosen. The conversation had taken its expected turn into feuding and bickering.
“You are weak all of you!” shouted the noise marine. His hearing was nearly gone entirely from the abuse he had put his body through. The Iron Warrior growled at the noise marine.
“You are nothing more than an obsessive pile of self-abuse. Your Primarch and your legion are all degenerates who think more on their own pleasure than on the one thing we set out to do all those years ago!” The Word Bearer drew his crozius. He pointed his weapon at the Iron Warrior.
“Do not think to lecture here! You would preach the goals of Horus to others when your own numbers who are supposedly the best at siege craft sit on their worlds of industry and iron rusting away from the outside doing nothing to help further our cause!”
Tyranus noticed that the large rotten marine had not spoke just as he had refrained from joining the argument. The Tzeentch worshipper was railing at the Slaanesh followers and the Iron Warrior and Word Bearer each were brandishing weapons. It would be about this time that Tyranus would’ve felt his implant begin to burn and he would lose focus on anything but brutally tearing these idiots apart. Even their daemons were screaming at each other. Pinkie Pie pranced about his armor but out of anxious bloodlust instead of happiness and excitement.
“Can I eat them master, please?” she begged him. “The purple on, I hate her and I want to taster her skin. I bet she tastes so good.” Pinkie said shuffling about staring at the purple horned daemon with hunger in her eyes.
“Calm yourself Pinkie.” Tyranus commanded his daemon. “I’ve a feeling you will get to gorge yourself soon enough.” Pinkie Pie didn’t answer but sat down and began to drag herself about his armor impatiently. Then the walking rot spoke.
He lifted his massive fist which grew and stretched into the form a hammer which he used to smash into the hololith causing the image to flicker and distort.
“Silence!” his voice boomed about the chamber. “I am Hrote. I am the leader of the Brotherhood of Plague. I was blessed by Father Nurgle with this little daemon here. She has named herself Carrot Top and the sight of her in combat is impressive just as the rest of your daemons I would wager.” His fist retracted. “But the arguing and infighting must stop here for now. I do not know any of you as battle-brothers and I hate you already.” Tyranus smiled, that made two of them. “Our existence is a horrible duty that we took on to show the galaxy the truth of it all. I have heard talk this day of Horus’s dream.” Hrote looked to the Iron Warrior. “Horus’s dream died with him and I doubt we will ever see the walls of that castle ever again. But we are here because we have something in common.” Hrote plucked little Carrot Top from his shoulder. “These odd daemons each of us was gifted, maybe this is a sign that we should cooperate for the time being at least.”
Tyranus never thought to hear words of wisdom come from the mouth of a walking, rotting corpse of a marine but however disgusting and seemingly foolish Hrote may be, he was telling the truth.
“I am Tyranus, lord of the Red Star and champion of the Blood God. I have been gifted with Pinkie Pie whom I have seen eat her way through ceramite like parchment.”
“Brukar, chosen of the Pyrae. This is Twilight Sparkle, a rather formidable manipulator of the Great Ocean.” The Thousand Son said.
The other all announced their names and their deeds. Tyranus was again shocked to recognize some of these brothers, Dark Apostle Kamtain and his daemon Derpy, the noise marine Ripht and his battle-brother Wortham and their companions Vinyl Scratch, Octavia, and Rarity, and lastly Gunther and his daemon Applejack.
Tyranus had known Ripht and Wortham before and during the great betrayal. He was surprised he could not recognize them and they did not recognize him. Ten thousand years in the warp will do odd things to one’s mind even that of an Adeptus Astartes.
The introductions had cleared some of the tension but it was still there, filling the empty space like a noxious gas. The door opened and Abaddon walked over.
“Brothers, I need you to come with me. It seems that we have visitors.” Pinkie Pie began to jump up and down.
“Ooh, I love visitors. Can we eat them?” she asked. Abaddon chuckled.
“Yes daemon, we can eat them.” Pinkie let out a loud squeal and back flipped over Tyranus’s head. The champions left the room and followed the Warmaster.
“Several Imperial Guard ships have materialized and headed for the rim of the system. We’re going to go aboard their largest and take it for ourselves.” Abaddon said as they calmly strode through the darkened corridors.
This came as a surprise to some of the marines. Gunther spoke up.
“Just like that you expect us to work together to take a ship from an unknown enemy just because you say so?” he asked the Despoiler. Abaddon stopped and turned he stared at Gunther. Gunther didn’t back down.
“Why, yes.” The Warmaster answered simply and turned to continue on their way. Tyranus looked at Gunther. The Iron Warrior shrugged and followed the Warmaster.
They all crammed into a boarding torpedo and strapped themselves in. Pinkie Pie slid down into Tyranus’s lap and pushed up against his chest for safety.
“Where are we going?” she asked Tyranus.
“To find people to eat.” Tyranus answered his daemon and scratched her under the chin. Pinkie smiled and flipped onto her back for a belly rub.
“I like to eat people.” She stated. Tyranus just scratched his daemon as he waited for the torpedo to launch. He grabbed his helmet that was still mag-locked to his thigh and put it on.
His vision became red and the darkness was banished as he looked out into the compartment of the torpedo. He had never seen such a mixture of different marines since the great betrayal working together for the same goal. It was a sight to behold after all of this time. The vox crackled above.
Prepare to engage! Prepare to engage!
The message repeated over and over again as the ship began to shudder and groan from receiving and giving fire. The Warmaster stepped back into the torpedo and strapped himself into a throne as the door slammed shut sealing the marines within. Tyranus raised an eyebrow but did not question it.
The vox came on again.
Torpedo one preparing to fire. Torpedo one firing. Torpedo one away.
The torpedo flew from the Black Legion ship like a remora from the underbelly of a shark. Its deadly payload within the most terrible thing in the galaxy: a unified force of chaos marines.
The ship that was targeted was a massive Overlord class battlecruiser. The armor was not so thick as to stop the torpedo and its laser defense array posed little threat to the torpedo.
The torpedo shuddered as it made contact and began to drill its way into the hull of the ship. Tyranus hit his release and stood gunning his chainaxe his hearts racing ready for the kill. The other marines were on their feet with the Despoiler at the front his massive hand flexing in anticipation. Tyranus moved behind Abaddon ready to kill anything in sight.
Through the shell of the torpedo he could hear men screaming and yelling some were bellowing orders while some were already calling for medics and attention. The front of the torpedo opened like the petals of the universes deadliest flower to deliver its payload.
Abaddon didn’t rush from the torpedo however as his two winged daemons leapt from his shoulders each screaming at the top of their lungs. Pinkie Pie couldn’t contain herself and bounded from Tyranus’s shoulder over Abaddon and into the waiting guardsmen on the other side. Blurs of color flashed passed Tyranus’s head as the other daemons had lost their patience as well and were hungry for death dealing.
Abaddon marched from the torpedo and into the corridor looking from side to side making sure that the way was clear. He moved aside to allow the others down. Tyranus hopped from the torpedo gunning his chainaxe. He looked about for a foe and found the walls spattered with blood and human entrails some covered in scorch marks and large portions of the wall covered in fast growing mold. There were entire sections of bulkhead that were warped and torn and portions of guardsmen bones that were obliterated into splinters.
The chaos marines were halted in their bloodlust to witness the destruction that had been wrought by the little wonders that gods had bestowed upon them.
“This is why I asked you all to come here.” Abaddon said admiring the damage as much as the others were.
Pinkie Pie roared her tiny fury at the fleeing guardsmen. She launched into the air and caught one by the hamstring. The little pink daemon clamped her jaws onto his leg and tripped him up. She released her hold and began to run her way up to his chest. She smiled evilly showing her steel teeth as she leapt into the air and landed face first into his flesh as she chewed her way to his heart, hearts were the sweetest after all.
Behind her Derpy let out another torrent of fire from her mouth engulfing another three of the humans in fire hot enough to melt the bulkhead behind them, Vinyl and Octavia each screamed loud enough to visibly move the air letting sound waves of death tear up the corridor causing bones to shatter like buckshot turning men and women into walls of pink mist.
Carrot Top was gliding around as mold and rot spewed forth from her limbs engulfing anything within range causing people and bulkheads alike to melt into puddle of noxious goo.
The blue and yellow winged ponies who were called Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were true terrors as they would chase down fleeing enemies. Rainbow Dash could fly fast enough to break the sound barrier which she would do above the humans causing them to fall over holding their heads as their eardrums would burst apart or she would fly so fast that she would fly through the human’s chest making sure to go through the heart leaving the organ moving so quickly it vibrated itself apart. Her wings were also sharply tipped and stronger than any material known to man or otherwise which she used to slice through men and women like so much paper. Emperor forbid if Fluttershy got her hooves on one of the poor guardsmen as she would pummel them into paste as her fury continued to grow like a hurricane.
And whatever was left Twilight Sparkle and Rarity would deal with. Both were rather powerful spell casters but of different disciplines. Rarity could stimulate a person’s nervous system to the point of overload and shutdown where they would lie down unable to breathe or move as they slowly died from lack of oxygen whereas Twilight was well versed in the cults of the Thousand Sons and could choose multiple way to kill a man from shooting lightning from her hooves to lighting fires on their being. Applejack brought up the rear killing anything that wasn’t utterly obliterated by the others. Her talents were yet to show themselves to any other but Gunther and he had forbidden her to use them to their full strength unless in the most dire of situations.
All in all the daemons were a force that any foe in the galaxy would fear. They tore through the ships corridors killing anything before them in a torrent of blood, fire, magic, and rot.
The daemons came to the bridge which was sealed off to them by a set of massive blast doors. Pinkie couldn’t chew through it and neither Carrot Top nor Derpy could get through. Applejack stepped forward. Measured the distance to the doors and took a step back. She flipped herself about and kicked with both rear legs denting the armor plating. She kicked three more times and a massive hole was made for the daemons.
Pinkie was the first through screaming her bloodlust like a true follower of Khorne. She dripped gore as she lifted off from the floor and hit the first person she saw: The ship’s captain. She chewed into his skull causing the man to scream in fear and pain as the tiny daemon at his brain in less than five seconds. The other daemons came through and began tearing the place apart as all of their formidable abilities worked well in such a crowded area creating an abattoir.
Tyranus was awed by the destruction left by the tiny daemons. To think such small beings could do so much damage in so little time made him reevaluate every single kill he had ever made. He had been in ship-to-ship actions before where boarding took place but he had never been a part of one that had cleared the ship this quickly or brutally, there weren’t even any survivors to put his axe into.
The marines followed the massive trail of destruction all of the way to the bridge where the daemons were busying themselves with consuming the leftovers of their victims.
Pinkie Pie sat up and sprinted her way over to Tyranus once again having ruined her robe and soaked all the way through with blood. She jumped up to Tyranus’s face and hugged him.
“I’m sorry master. I was just so hungry I couldn’t help myself. Will you forgive me?” she asked sweetly. Tyranus looked at the bridge and nodded without looking at her.
“I forgive you Pinkie.” He said. She hopped down and clapper her hooves in joy. The daemons finished their meal and sprinted from the bridge on their journey to find more guardsmen to destroy.
“Those things did this?” The Word Bearer asked exasperated. Abaddon shrugged.
“Our lives just got a lot more, interesting.” The Warmaster stated.
“Let’s go find our little wonders before they eat all of the crew.”
Author's Note
Well, it's been a few years since I've had to crack open the Lexicanum but I did and I remember why I love 40K so much. Anyway here's the next installment. Enjoy the daemons and thank you Axiosriot. for giving me the idea on how to distribute them but you can see that I did it a little differently.
Tyranus sat on his throne, his eyes shut as they traveled through the warp. His blood was filled to the brim with adrenaline and combat stimulants as he meditated; a unique activity for the berserker. The two corpses at his feet, however, was a rather common sight.
The coppery stench of blood filled the champion’s nostrils, like some brutal flower’s deadly nectar. The bridge was quiet save for the occasional blurt of machine code from a hard wired servitor. The crew knew that silence was preferable to death when in the warp. The maelstrom was a dangerous place for the human crew of the Red Star . World Eaters stalked the corridors drooling and deranged from the close proximity of the Empyrean and its red god, some screaming their rage as their implants added to their already insane level of blood lust. Screams of the unfortunate slaves and deformed crewmen who fell to the berserkers axes and fists could be heard all throughout the ship. Some of the brothers claimed to hear the roars of the Red Angel calling out to them.
The ship began to shudder as the warp engines began to tear through the dimensions to bring the Red Star back from the warp into the fabric of reality. Tyranus opened his eyes slowly looking out through the view screens to see the last vestiges of the warp relinquish its grip upon his ship.
The battle was already engaged in the void as the Marauder vessels did their best to defend their home from the Black Legion and its allies. Torpedoes crossed the void leaving trails of vapor and lance beams seared across the blackness tearing apart void shields and armor alike. Tyranus stood from his throne and moved slowly forward, his massive boots smashing into the corpses beneath him pulping the meat of the human crew into the deck.
The axes at his hips clinked on their chain leads as Tyranus moved from the bridge and was joined by his Terminator armored bodyguards. Tyranus reached down to his thigh and pulled his helmet free. He set the armor over his head and his vision was once again stained red and covered in runes.
The vox opened up with screams and roars of the battle brothers. Raptors promised their finest kills to the Blood God, the promise of skulls and blood an inspiring guarantee.
Tyranus strode down the corridors of his ship letting the insanity of his brothers fill his soul with one last vestige of pride. His thoughts turned to Pinkie Pie and how she was faring in the midst of the Black Legion and their foolish leader.
“Lord,” some unknown slave said over the vox, blocking out the countless slavering berserkers from being heard.
“Speak,” Tyranus commanded as he came to his Dreadclaw and strapped himself in.
“Lord in scanning the planet we’ve only found wreckage of a Dreadclaw.”
Tyranus felt ice pour into his veins that quickly turned to molten steel.
“Abaddon,” Tyranus hissed. “Brothers!” Tyranus screamed over the vox. “After we’ve taken the skulls of the Emperor’s foolish servants then we take the skulls of the Black Legion. Do not trust the others. As soon as I give the signal prepare to drink the blood of the foolish followers of other, weaker gods!” The vox came even more alive with animal like screams and proclaims of blood and skulls for Khorne.
“The soon to be dead make poor allies,” Tyranus said to himself as he envisioned how he was going to rend the Warmaster limb from limb for taking his Pinkie Pie away.
Pinkie Pie sprinted through the ventilation system of the fortress monastery smiling maniacally, behind her Vinyl and Octavia came behind her giggling with glee. They had been in the monastery for only a few hours and already they had devoured several hundred human servants and even some armored scouts in their search for food and death.
The crash had been horrific and had ended up crushing Applejack and Carrot Top sending them back to the warp. Pinkie had devoured their corpses and felt their power infuse her with even more strength. Upon entering the fortress the daemons had split apart, not out of any tactical advantage but rather out of a mutual dislike for each other.
Pinkie looked down through a vent and watched a group of armed and robed servants run by underneath. Pinkie dove through the metal, using her teeth like a drill. She continued to fall and landed on the back of one of the robed acolytes. The man turned his head and his eyes spread wide with fear.
“Blood!” Pinkie screamed as she bit into the man’s scalp. Vinyl and Octavia dropped from the hole that Pinkie had created and began to add their sonic chaos to the situation, ripping the remaining men to pieces. Pinkie jumped out of the eye socket of her victim with a loud ‘pop’ dripping brain matter. The trio took off once again down the massive corridors of the Marauder’s home laughing all the way as they devoured and destroyed anything in their way.
Tyranus fell through the atmosphere encased in the loving mechanical womb of his Dreadclaw as he hurtled downward to spread death to the enemy.
The pod smashed into the ground and the ramp slammed open. Tyranus drew his bolter and walked down the ramp. The sky was filled with smoke trails as drop pods and Thunderhawk gunships descended upon the fortress monastery. Land Raider tanks surrounded the fortress.
Tyranus looked up at the beautiful structure that he was about to desecrate. The monastery was built of a beautiful white marble with massive pillars around the armored front door. The door itself was large enough to fit four land raiders through side-by-side. The metal had a massive Aquila inscribed onto it in beautiful gold, it disgusted the World Eater. Atop the turreted walls massive gun placements boomed to the heavens trying to shoot down traitor marines as they came to land on the ground.
A red armored Land Raider smashed into the ground next to Tyranus’ position, its engine roaring. Tyranus calmly walked over to his tank as artillery and anti-air fire sounded overhead.
The embarkation ramp dropped open and Tyranus boarded followed by his oversized bodyguards. The engine rumbled and the main gun sounded as the automated systems targeted and destroyed weapons systems around the outside of the fortress monastery as chaos marines descended upon the imperials.
Pinkie jumped from the Marauder’s slack jaw and dug through the vox grille. She climbed from the ceramite and leapt onto a thunder hammer wielding Terminator who was trying his best to get past the sonic attacks of the Slanneshi daemons. Pinkie landed on the marine’s massive shoulder and dug into his armor with gusto, the thick plates putting up as much of a fight as wet parchment.
The thunder hammer fell from his grip as the Marauder felt all of the power from his arm stop and the limb dropped to his side. The imperial turned his gaze just long enough for Vinyl and Octavia to perform some odd acrobatic maneuvers which allowed them to combine their voices as one and fire a sonic blast that ripped the thunder shield from the Terminator’s grip.
Pinkie burrowed her way into his chest cavity and found his two, rapidly beating hearts and bit down, allowing blood to burst into her mouth. She hummed in pleasure as the soft flesh gave way to her impossibly sharp, steel teeth. She felt the massive man fall over and crash into the stone floor. She turned upward and dug her way through his lungs and came to his spine. She snapped a quick bite out of the bone, a satisfying and crunchy experience.
Pinkie pushed forward and gnawed her way through the massive back plate and backpack. She emerged in a tiny fountain of blood giggling with glee and soaked to the bone in human remains. She looked over to Vinyl and Octavia who were rolling around in piles of dissected organs locked together in brutal love making.
“Come on sillies!” Pinkie said kicking her back legs into the air. “We’ve got skulls to eat!” Without waiting for an answer Pinkie whipped about and took off down the corridor while the two Slaaneshi daemons continued their blood soaked activities.
Pinkie came up to an intersection and without thinking turned right. She heard the sounds of bolter fire and the clash of chain weapons. She galloped forth saliva frothing at the corners of her mouth as the thought of slaughter drove her on.
“AAAHHHH!!!” Pinkie roared as she came around the corner. She launched herself into a group of yellow armored marines. The imperials were unprepared.
Tyranus marched down a massive corridor firing his bolter as Raptors hopped about him on thruster packs smashing into the floors and walls axes screaming and bolt pistols snapping as yellow armored marines and scouts fell to the fury of the Eaters of Worlds.
Tyranus spied black armor down a corridor. He picked up his pace opening a vox link.
“Abaddon,” Tyranus growled. “I would have words with you,” the champion marched as his brothers formed up behind him like some brutal parade. At the end of the vaulted stone corridor Abaddon stood, his foreboding presence felt in even in the expansive interior of the fortress monastery.
“Speak quickly, I’ve men to kill,” Abaddon threatened. Tyranus stepped up to the Warmaster, pressing his chest into Abaddon’s, showing no fear.
“Where is my daemon?” Tyranus hissed into Abaddon’s face through the vox grille. The Warmaster was at least a head taller than Tyranus but the World Eater would not be intimidated.
“Dead,” Abaddon said his face filling with anger at Tyranus’ display of defiance. Tyranus’ display lit up with targeting runes displaying weak points in the Despoiler’s armor and the structure of his face.
“Unfortunate,” Tyranus said as he placed his bolter barrel against Abaddon’s knee and pulled the trigger. The bolt round shot straight into the Despoiler’s knee and exploded bursting his flesh apart and disintegrating Warmaster's leg. The Despoiler’s face contorted into pained rage as he fell over without his leg to stand on. The World Eaters descended upon the Black Legion troops tearing into their would-be allies with gusto. Bolters turned on each other and screams to the dark gods were heard as the two chaos forces turned on each other.
Abaddon swung out with his father’s hand at Tyranus but the champion had already moved out of his reach. Abaddon reached down and drew his bolt pistol. Before the Black Legion commander could aim and fire a massive boot came down onto his wrist. Abaddon looked up to see two massive Terminator armored psychopaths standing over him, one with a chainfist and the other with an axe, both revving up to speed. Abaddon snarled at them.
“Let’s see if Khorne finds your skulls worthy of the throne.”
Pinkie jumped from the chest of her last victim as the man coughed out his last into his hands. Pinkie let the man die as she ran away off to the next sound of bolters and blades. She didn’t have to run far when she heard curses and promises and the name of her god screamed to the air. She felt hope flare up at the prospect of seeing her master.
She turned the corner and saw as the big black meanie was crawling around on his belly swiping his massive hand about taking out red armored marines left and right. Behind him the corpses of two massive Terminators lay smoking and in pieces. Abaddon was screaming out and his face was purple with rage as he struggled to right himself. His forces lay about on the ground already dispatched by the World Eaters ambush.
Tyranus stood back for once and fired at the Warmaster as Abaddon tried to crawl his way over to the red armored champion screaming curses and the promise of a thousand years torment. Abaddon would occasionally pause to fire back at Tyranus whenever he had cleared away enough Raptors, but the World Eaters could only last against the Warmaster for so long.
Pinkie ran forward yelling to Tyranus the whole way. Tyranus looked over his shoulder and saw his daemon. While he was distracted a bolt impacted into his chest sending him backwards. Pinkie looked down to see a smile on Abaddon’s face. Pinkie screamed angrily and charged the downed Warmaster. Abaddon saw Pinkie coming and fired his bolt pistol on full automatic trying to hit the tiny daemon. He missed every shot and the action clicked empty. Abaddon threw the pistol aside and tried to prepare to defend against Pinkie.
Pinkie leapt into the air screaming her rage when she was met by a wall of fire. The flames were so intense that it stopped the daemon’s assault dead and burned her flesh horribly. Pinkie fell to the ground, her skin charred and her form unmoving.
Tyranus screamed angrily and tore his helmet from his head, adrenaline and fury pumping through his system, both hearts screaming as they beat faster and faster. Blood leaked from the hole in his chest where Abaddon’s bolt had pierced his armor. Tyranus stormed forward and dropped to his knees to lift the tiny daemon.
“I guess it is just our nature to betray,” Brukar said as he stepped forward to cover the Warmaster. Tyranus dropped his bolter and used his free hand to cup the blood running from his wound. Tyranus poured the thick Astartes blood onto Pinkie’s body, knowing the one thing that the Blood God and his servants would do anything to get a hold of. A tiny tongue darted from between steel teeth and lapped up the crimson liquid. Tyranus smiled, and continued to feed Pinkie his blood.
“Kill him,” Abaddon ordered. Brukar stepped forward his eye lenses lighting up with purple fire. Tyranus took Pinkie and pushed her up into his bolt wound. He could feel her dig her way up into him biting painfully into his flesh and sucking his precious lifeblood to nourish herself. A feral grin spread onto Tyranus’ face as he came to his feet and his hands gripped onto the handles of his chainaxes.
Tyranus gunned the engines of his axes, the teeth spinning in air. He spat at Brukar’s feet. Brukar stepped forward and swung his staff, flames spewing from the end. Tyranus caught the staff on one of his axes and swung his other into the tactical dreadnought armor. His blade struck and sparked off of the metal but didn’t do much more than scratch the paint. Brukar brought his free hand up and spread fire beneath Tyranus’ feet. The World Eater pushed the staff away and rolled from the flames. He felt a painful twinge in his gut as Pinkie took another bite out of him.
Brukar sent another few bursts of fire after Tyranus. The World Eater was not used to running from a fight, but this was different. He had never faced a sorcerer with such power before. Brukar slowly strolled after Tyranus, spouts of flame erupting underneath each boot step. The masonry of the walls burst apart with each explosion, raining dust and chunks of rock down onto the combatants. With every swing of his staff Brukar sent a torrent of warp fire at Tyranus. The World Eater continued to run, dodging and rolling away from the Thousand Son.
Tyranus could feel Pinkie digging around inside of him, pushing further towards his kidney. Pain shot through his nerves and with a snap Pinkie popped out of her master’s armor.
“Here’s Pinkie!” she yelled as she hopped towards Brukar. Nimbly she dodged every spout of flame that the Thousand Son summoned. She jumped directly for Brukar’s faceplate but was halted mid-way as Twilight lunged from behind her master’s head. The two daemons tumbled to the ground and rolled about. Pinkie gnashed her fangs and Twilight tried to throw Pinkie off of her so she could cast a spell.
Tyranus used the distraction to charge Brukar and slam one of his axes into the staff Brukar wielded. His other axe he used to uppercut Brukar, catching the Thousand Son’s chin and ripping the helmet from his head. The chainaxe snapped through the staff. Brukar slammed his fist into Tyranus’ chest. Blood spurted through the hole in Tyranus’ body and pain shot through his chest.
Tyranus’ chest plate collapsed and crumbled. The World Eater fell to his knees as his vision clouded. Blood began to leak from his lips and nose as he looked up at Brukar’s eyes. He could feel his organs begin to shut down and his primary heart refused to beat anymore. The Thousand Son looked to be without age, but reeked of old books and the sickly sweet smell of the warp. He had dark hair that fell to his neck in long curls that framed his young and perfect face with unmarked, porcelain skin.
“What World Eater? Are you going to proclaim blood for the Blood God?” Brukar mocked.
“No,” Tyranus grinned again up at Brukar, his chest heaving as his body tried to compensate for the massive trauma he had endured.
“Why do you smile, berserker?” Brukar asked as he wrapped his massive fist around Tyranus’ throat.
“Blood for the Blood God,” Pinkie said in Brukar’s ear just before she bit into Brukar’s face.
The tiny daemon took her time with the Thousand Son, chewing ever so slowly. Tyranus listened as bone crunched and blood spurted around his daemon. Brukar screamed as Pinkie chewed her way around his head, sucking in his eyes with an audible slurp and pulling his tongue up out of his mouth, silencing him.
Finally Pinkie began to consume his brain causing the Thousand Son to keel over as blood poured from his head. Pinkie popped out of her recent meal and looked at her master.
Tyranus held his chest as he bled out his last. His chest plate was obliterated and beneath his flesh had been pulped. Tyranus could feel only one heart beating weakly still trying to move blood around his body to help repair the damage. Pinkie crawled up to his face and placed her hooves on his cheek.
“Let’s go master, we have to go eat that big black meanie,” she said happily. Tyranus looked down the corridor to see Abaddon’s lost leg lying there but of the Warmaster there was no sight. Tyranus could also see the corpse of Twilight Sparkle lying on the ground with her throat ripped out.
“Go on Pinkie,” Tyranus told her as he lost feeling in his limbs.
“What do you mean?” she asked him.
“Go find him,” Tyranus ordered her. “I’ll see you at the throne,” Pinkie’s face fell into sorrow.
“But we have to eat the Emperor, master,” she said, putting her hooves around Tyranus’ cheek.
“Find a new master, little one,” Tyranus flashed a genuine smile to Pinkie.
Pinkie hugged Tyranus until his last breath, the mark on his cheek burning until his soul was sucked into the warp to be added to the endless pile of skulls that Khorne called his throne.
Abaddon sat in the apothecarion as a metal appendage was attached to his knee. The Legion had come away from the monastery with the remainder of the Marauder’s gene-seed. The organs were being stored deep within the ship awaiting new recruits.
Abaddon watched as his nerves were connected to the metal of his new augmetic leg. He flexed the hand he took from Horus and thought about Tyranus’ betrayal. The World Eater had managed to get the jump on him, it would not happen again.
The servitor, under the watchful eye of an Apothecary, worked silently. The lights flickered for a moment. Abaddon looked up at the ceiling. There had never been a problem with power on any of his ships and he would not tolerate it now of all times. The door to the Apothecarion slammed shut loudly and the vox crackled to life.
Warning: Foreign body detected. Automatic lockdown activated.
Abaddon tried to move his leg and was awarded with pain up to his waste. The lights flickered again and fell dead. Dull, red emergency lighting came on. The Apothecary stood, but the servitor continued its workings on the Warmaster’s leg.
The Apothecary walked to the door and tapped instructions into the rune pad. Nothing happened. The Apothecary spoke into his vox bead for a moment. There was a pause and then he spoke again, ordering a team to come cut them out.
The Apothecary began walking back to Abaddon when he suddenly tripped. The Apothecary tried to turn over when he was yanked back underneath one of the stations where Abaddon could not see him. The Apothecary screamed and kicked as something pulled his organs out of his armor and blood began to fountain up into sight.
Abaddon ripped the servitor from the ground and threw it across the Apothecarion. The Warmaster stood and limped his way over to the door flexing his massive claw. He looked down at the Apothecary to see the entire front of his armor stripped away to expose his flayed flesh.
Abaddon heard a clink from his right. He turned his head to see a little pink daemon with a black and red robe with a black mark of Khorne sewn onto the back.
“Hi!” Pinkie Pie said cheerfully as she jumped over Abaddon’s head. Abaddon tried to grab a hold of Pinkie, trying to kill the creature.
“Stand still!” Abaddon commanded. Pinkie wouldn’t listen.
“I ate your friends,” Pinkie said as she flipped off of the Despoiler’s shoulder guard and darted into the dead servitor, quickly tunneling into it. Abaddon drew his bolt pistol and put several rounds into the servitor. Pinkie jumped out of the body and onto Abaddon’s one good boot.
“I even ate the others, the big green one tasted really bad,” She stuck out her tongue. Pinkie scrambled up Abaddon’s armor as the lord of the Black Legion tried to swat her from his body. Pinkie came to rest on his shoulder guard.
“Now I’m going to eat you,” Pinkie smiled, showing her steel teeth, and lunged for Abaddon’s face.
Author's Note
Thank you for enjoying my story. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Death to the False Emperor. If any of you wish to use this type of idea for another fic I just ask that you put my name somewhere in an accreditation and I'm open to a collab for this idea as well.
What remained of the crew had to be saved, ironically, by the chaos marines who only managed to catch up to their daemons while the tiny beasts were obsessing over the slaughter and eating up the aftermath. Pinkie especially seemed insatiable in her bloodlust but Tyranus managed to calm her.
The ship shuddered as Dreadclaw assault pods attached to the hull releasing more Black Legion marines into the depths of the conquered ship. Tyranus followed at the tail end of his group heading to the nearest incursion to commandeer the Dreadclaw to return to the Warmaster’s vessel.
He turned his head and spotted a massive Aquila daubed on the bulkhead with black paint. His rage grew at seeing the symbol of the Imperium. He squeezed the handle of his axe causing the teeth to spin and slammed the blade into the bulkhead. The metal screamed and sent sparks flying into the air as he dragged it back and forth across the paint sending the symbol of hope into oblivion. The World Eater could feel the mark of Khorne upon his cheek heat up as he defaced the Empire’s most holy symbol.
His work finished Tyranus turned to join his newly found comrades. None of them commented on his actions as they had all been too distracted to see the Aquila sitting there begging to be broken.
They came upon two black armored marines standing outside of the torn bulkhead defending the egress into the ship in case they needed to make swift departure.
“Go to your brothers.” Abaddon commanded as he stepped up into the assault pod.
“Aye lord!” the two echoed simultaneously and stormed off to find something to kill. They were to be disappointed.
The pod sealed itself, like a steel rose closing its petals and detached from the ship. The servitor pilot blurted and screeched machine code as it piloted the pod back through the void heading for the Black Legion ship.
The daemons whirled about the cramped interior blathering to one another like old friends. Tyranus watched as Pinkie Pie began dancing about with the two Slaaneshi daemons that were scantily clad singing her ridiculous song again. The marines however seemed tenser than ever looking across the compartment menacingly. The only helmeted individuals were Tyranus and Brukar. The only other marine capable of wearing a helmet was the Dark Apostle who’s only deformity were the runes of the Book of Lorgar scribed into his flesh.
Tyranus was no stranger to brothers harming themselves for the Blood God but some of these marines were so deformed as to have their faces and minds nearly demolished. It disgusted the berserker some to know that he shared common cause with these marines who knew nothing of pure slaughter. The only way to truly appease the gods was to kill and kill many for them and even then the other three were so useless, a mutated sorcerer, a laughing rotten slime ball and a hedonistic psychopath who rewarded by punishing. These were Tyranus’s comrades in the battle against the false Emperor and some hadn’t even stood with him underneath the walls of the great palace. He sneered mentally at them all no matter how his daemon felt she was his servant and would do as he said.
The Dreadclaw landed in the bay of the Black Legion ship and the marines disembarked with their daemons in tow. Abaddon lead the group back to the chamber with the now smashed hololith in it.
“Brothers,” the Warmaster growled as he flexed his father’s hand, gears whirring and clicking. “After seeing what our little helpers are capable of, I would like to now reopen the issue of a truce for discussion.”
Around the chamber there were several grunts of agreement as the chaos marines all decided to put their differences aside for a moment after having seen what they had at their command it caused one to rethink their position. There wasn’t a man in that room who wasn’t sizing up the equally giant armored psychopath next to him and his daemon in kind thinking on the best way to kill their brother in arms.
The Despoiler seemed somewhat surprised at the complacent attitude that his guests had adopted in working together where less than an hour ago they were readying their weapons to tear into each other.
“Excellent friends,” Abaddon commented. He waved his hand over the hololith which managed to come to life slowly as sparks began to shoot from the damaged inflicted by the World Eater and Plague marine.
“I’ve a plan that I need you all and all of the forces you bring.” Abaddon continued, the hololith shifting to display a planet that was rather densely populated. “After having seen your daemons in action and working together, how do you feel about fighting Imperials?” The lord of Black Legion asked. Brukar set his open hand upon the edge of the display looking at the planet that was displayed.
“I know this world.” He said. “Marauders.” He growls through his helmet. Abaddon nods.
“The sons of the Khan, these however do not have such an affinity for bikes but they are still skilled swordsman.” Abaddon struck a pose similar to Brukar’s by setting his hand upon the hololith causing the image to distort for a second.
Tyranus’s curiosity gets the better of him.
“So this is your plan Despoiler? We attack these marines in their home?” Tyranus steps forward menacingly.
“Yes berserker, much like your assault upon a gene-seed facility that went so well I too require the progenitor glands so I may extend my forces. Is that so hard to comprehend?”
“There is a difference fool. I attacked a facility that was only guarded by the Mechanicum and their weak forces.”
“Were you not attacked by the Imperials whom the facility belonged to?”
“Aye but they were brushed aside easily enough. And the fact remains that this is a fortress monastery that is heavily defended and has been for centuries and not to mention filled with a thousand marines with their home advantage and the vehicle and air support to make this difficult at least.”
The room was silent as the chaos marines were all somewhat stunned by a World Eater who was worried about tactical advantage. Tyranus was no fool when it came to tactics he just knew how to overwhelm an enemy by putting an axe into its head.
“I refuse to commit my brothers to a fight where we will find few skulls and our own blood will spill faster than the enemies.”
Abaddon did not react to the World Eater’s statement but the tension in the air was thick enough to be cut with a knife. The daemons had stopped their frolicking about and had returned to their master’s sides. Pinkie had actually hid herself behind one of Tyranus’s spikes that protruded from his shoulder trying to avoid her master’s growing fury.
“I understand your concern brother, but I have a plan.” Abaddon said narrowing his eyes at Tyranus.
“The dead make poor allies Despoiler.” Tyranus sneered at the Black Legion leader but did not speak further.
Abaddon moved his fingers over the controls and the hololith moved to highlight the fortress monastery.
“My intelligence tells me that a large portion of the Marauder’s forces are away fighting my forces along the Crusade front leaving behind only a few companies including their scouts.” Abaddon smiled as he mentioned the scouts showing his black, pointed teeth. “I’m going to send in a drop pod with our daemons first dropping it in the plains that surround the fortress. The daemons will exit the pod and make their way into the fortress where they will then spread death and terror.”
Tyranus watched the hololith as a tiny drop pod fell from an imaginary ship to strike the planet, when it landed several arrows representing the daemons as they made their way across the open space around the monastery.
Pinkie came out from behind the spike and leaned forward looking at the display.
“What does it mean?” she whispered in Tyranus’s ear.
“It means you’ll get to eat people.” Tyranus explained to her. Pinkie giggled excitedly and gnashed her teeth. Tyranus could hear the clink as steel met steel in her creepy smile.
“What are we going to be doing while our daemons scamper about unsupervised?” Kamtain asked crossing his arms across his chest. “We cannot just leave them in the open unsupported.”
“We will be descending not long after they enter the fortress.” Abaddon tapped a few more keys. The display zoomed out and showed drop pods and Thunderhawks descending from orbit. “We’re going to assault the fortress and only the automated systems should give us any troubles the living should already be taken care of.” Abaddon looked about at the tiny daemons and smiled again.
Tyranus didn’t trust the Warmaster. Evidently neither did most of the marines in the room.
“What of us Despoiler? What do we receive as payment?” Wortham said drawing his hammer menacingly.
“A share of the chapter’s geneseed,” Abaddon said turning his gaze. “Is that not a fair price for your time brother?” Wortham replaced his hammer without another word.
“Then let us descend upon them.” Brukar commented his massive armor whirring and cycling as he turned to leave the chamber.
“Leave your companion here Thousand Son.” Abaddon commanded. Brukar stopped. Tyranus could hear Brukar whisper to his daemon for a few seconds. Twilight remained silent as she jumped down from her master’s armor and trotted her way to the hololith. She then lifted herself from the floor using her warpcraft and placed herself upon the hololith. “All of you.” Abaddon said looking around the chamber at the marines.
Pinkie poked Tyranus in the cheek. Tyranus turned to his daemon.
“Do I have to stay with him master? I don’t like him very much.” Pinkie said giving Abaddon a sidelong glance. “Can I eat him?” she asked.
“No Pinkie you may not eat him.” Tyranus told the daemon. “Listen to him but don’t trust him.” Pinkie nodded up at Tyranus.
“Alright master,” she said as she slid from Tyranus’s armor and leapt up to the hololith to join the other daemons. Tyranus turned and stepped from the chamber. He did not like the idea of leaving his daemon behind as much as he didn’t enjoy having daemons around but he had enjoyed his time with Pinkie Pie. Tyranus was escorted through the bowels of the Black Legion ship. Tyranus walked through the landing bay back up into a Thunderhawk gunship.
Tyranus watched the ramp close up and got the feeling that he would never get to see that little daemon again.
Pinkie Pie sat atop the hololith looking up at Abaddon. The Despoiler was messing with the controls and the display continued to move. Around her sat the other daemons all quietly staring up at Abaddon. Tyranus had told her not to trust Abaddon or any of the other daemons and she didn’t. They had been fun to be around but that was about it. They were all too concerned with other things like spells and talking all sorts of things that got in the way of eating people and soaking in blood.
“Attention.” Abaddon commanded the daemons. Pinkie was pulled from her thoughts as the Black Legionnaire spoke. “You may unique little daemons but you are still daemons, which means you are less than nothing when compared to the likes of me.” Abaddon said. “You are expendable even if you are useful,” he glared down at the group of daemons. “You will listen to my every command as if it were coming from the gods themselves, do you understand?” the Despoiler hissed through his teeth. Pinkie didn’t nod or respond. She just sat there wishing she could bound over and dig through his eye and see what a brain that was chosen by the gods tastes like. “Answer me!” Abaddon commanded. There was a tiny chorus of yeses.
“Yes.” Pinkie answered as she felt waves of warp energy come off of the Warmaster. He was indeed powerful, powerful enough to kill all of the daemons in this room but Pinkie knew that Tyranus could kill him if it really came down to it. She trusted her master, he was chosen of Khorne after all, who else could she trust?
“Now you’re going to come with me and you’re going to do what I say or I will send you back to the warp where you came from.” Abaddon threatened.
The marine stepped back from the hololith and made his way to the door. A clatter of hooves hit the deck as the daemons hopped down to follow him. Abaddon stepped from the chamber and turned, leading the daemons to a drop pod.
Pinkie followed directly behind the two Slaaneshi daemons, Octavia and Vinyl, hoping that something interesting would happen or someone would pop up that she could eat instead of having to listen to this big, black meanie.
Abaddon stopped at a large door that opened up on a drop pod.
“Get in.” Abaddon ordered. The daemons hopped in one by one. Pinkie jumped up in and was surprised by the tiny compartment. There were several seats around and some straps but nothing interesting and there was no one to eat either. She crawled under one of the seats and sat down unhappily.
The other daemons were somewhat more curious and began to explore their surroundings. Carrot Top had crawled her way up to the top of the pod where the heavy bolter sat. She put a hoof up to the metal and let some rot begin to spread to the gun. The gun began to melt away and she smiled sadistically as she watched the liquefied steel drip down onto the deck of the pod.
The corruption shot up the gun and moved to the ceiling and began to burn the plating away slowly.
