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Da Boss Of Da Dead Chapta 13 | |
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Da Boss Of Da Dead Chapta 13 |
Though the overwhelming majority of the orks in the caravan wore the blue and white of the Death Skulls, Hazug also noticed a smattering of the black of Goffs and the uncoloured fabrics of Snake Bites. Though of course, it was quite possible that some of the Death Skulls had simply stolen these clothes and not yet had time to alter the colours. Mek Batrug had swiftly located the parts he needed and with a mixture of barter and intimidation Hazug and Two Heads had convinced the sellers to part with them for less than the sellers’ opening offer. “Any trouble?” Two Heads asked the first of his troops they encountered upon returning to the battlewagon. “Not much boss.” The ork replied, “Some grots came pokin’ about, but when dat squig ate one of ‘em dey backed off. Da git and da pansy is back an’ all, dey came runnin’ back ‘ere not long ago. Dey is inside da wagon.” Hazug looked at Batrug. “Can I leave ya to fix me trukk?” he asked. “Sure, I gots all da bits wot I needs.” Batrug replied, “It’ll be easy, I won’t even need no grots.” “Where’re ya goin’?” Two Heads asked. “To find out wot Mayleth and Sophie ‘ave been up to.” He replied and he headed for the battlewagon. He found Mayleth and Sophie waiting for him. “Hazug!” Sophie exclaimed with excitement, “I know where my sister went. We have to go to the hills.” “We is goin’ back to see da boss.” Hazug replied, “’E ‘as to know dat we lost dat Mazakatek.” “But that’s in the opposite direction.” Sophie protested. Hazug was
about to remind Sophie that he was in charge when he realised
something. A puzzled look appeared on Sophie’s face. “You think that is where the y’ngir was heading my master?” Hazug grinned. “Yeah,” he replied, “I do. After all it makes sense don’t it? Dare’s loads of mines in da ‘ills. Dey is dare cause of all da metal under ‘em. I reckon a place full of metal is where dese necrons would want to ‘ang about so dey can make more of ‘emselves.” “Actually my master, “Mayleth said, “it takes more than metal to create more y’ngir.” “But if there are necrons in the hills then what about the Death Skulls?” Sophie asked before Hazug could reply to Mayleth’s point. “Depends ‘ow many Death Skulls dare is.” Hazug said, “Da necrons aint been ‘ittin’ anythin’ too strong. We’ll leave in da mornin’, until den ya better get some rest.” Cryptek Shazarak was standing the hangar when Mazakatek returned. Glancing around the overlord noticed that there was a command barge missing. “More losses?” he asked the cryptek. “No lord.” Shazarak replied, “Good news.” Mazakatek halted in front of the cryptek, there had been precious little of that recently. “Tell me.” He said. “As you know my lord we have been transmitting a status request since our awakening.” “Yes, you said there were no responses.” “No at first, no. But we have finally received a signal my lord.” A signal? From where?” “Khab lord.” “Khab? But that was our primary industrial facility. It is capable of making many weapons.” “Indeed my lord. It seems that the facility is now buried beneath the ice of the planet’s southern pole, but it is intact.” “Is it online?” Mazakatek asked. “Unfortunately not lord. The glaciers have damaged its reanimation systems. However, Cryptek Ibon has taken a command barge and will attempt to reactivate the facility manually.” “And what can it offer us?” Mazakatek asked, “We are in need of reinforcements.” “That is unknown my lord.” Shazarak replied, “We have attempted to access Khab’s inventory, but that part of the system is not responding. Ibon will send us a report when he gets there.” “This is excellent news.” Mazakatek said, “You have done well. Now we only need to hold out for a little longer and that should be easy enough given that the krork still do not know the location of this facility.” Gorgoga slid down the slope and landed with a splash in the river at the bottom. Picking himself up and brushing off some of the larger clumps of mud he began to run along the riverbank. Since the loss of his precious mine he had made his way to the nearest other settlement, a small trading post that serviced many of the roving warbands and trade caravans that came through this area, only to discover that it too had been destroyed. Whoever these strange metal beings were, they were powerful and Gorgoga wanted the chance to strike back at them. But to do that he needed to gather up some lads. Problem was there didn’t seem to be any left anywhere in the hills. That left him with only one option, he would have to go before Warboss Kazkal Kromag himself and ask him for some more lads to fight these aliens with. The boss could not possibly deny him that. After all, he was the only one who knew exactly where to find them. Sophie woke with a start as the battlewagon’s engine came to life. “What’s happening?” she asked. Looking around she could see only the Evil Suns of Two Heads’ mob and all of the battlewagons hatches were closed. “We is movin’ off.” One of Two heads told her while the other concentrated on a crude map. “Where’s Hazug?” Sophie asked, dashing to the nearest vision slit and looking out of it. “In ‘is trukk.” Two Heads said and the other one followed up with, “Where’d ya think ‘e’d be?” “Why did he leave me here?” “Ya was sleepin’.” Two Heads replied, “So ‘e said ya may as well stay put. We’re all goin’ da same way.” Sophie frowned and looked out of the vision slit again, this time catching a glimpse of Hazug’s truck directly ahead of the battlewagon. As far as she could tell Two Heads was telling the truth and his vehicle was following Hazug’s. But she could not help but remember that the last time they had fought against the necrons he had left her behind. Meanwhile, from his place at the back of the truck Ratish looked back at the battlewagon following close behind and saw Sophie staring back at him. He grinned and then stuck out his tongue. “Master not bring da git.” He hissed, even though Sophie would be unable to hear him from this distance, “’E just bring Ratish.” “And me.” Mayleth commented, smiling at Ratish from across the truck. Ratish frowned. “Useless pansy, master’ll send ya back to da arena when we is done. Den ya won’t be able to bother Ratish no more.” Mayleth got up and, steadying herself on the roll cage she walked towards the front of the truck and sat down just behind the front seats where Hazug and Mek Batrug sat. “I have a question my master.” She said out loud. “Wot?” Hazug asked as he drove. “When this is over what will become of me? Do you intend to send me back to the arena?” “Though ya liked da fightin’.” Hazug replied, “Plus ya is makin’ me money.” “I will
willingly fight for you my master.” Mayleth said, “The suffering I can
inflict in the arena sustains me well. But the accommodation leaves much
to be desired. I would like it to be improved.” “Of course my master.” Mayleth said and then as Ratish scowled at her she made her way back to where she had been sat, “Well then,” she said to the gretchin, “it looks like I’ll be around for some time yet little beast.” And she sneered at him. The crude track was getting more uneven as Hazug drove into the area known to the orks simply as ‘the hills’ owing to its distinctive terrain features. But Hazug was unwilling to slow down any more than absolutely necessary. If he was right then the necron tomb was located somewhere around her and he needed to find out where. Something moved on a ridge overlooking the truck, sending several small rocks tumbling down onto the track ahead. They were not large enough to be any danger to the truck if Hazug just drove straight over them, but Hazug knew that it could be an ambush and he braked as hard as he could. “Up dare!” he
yelled, pointing with one hand as he reached behind him with the other and
grabbed his rifle. Thuggrim swung the truck’s gun around, ready to fire it
and also holding his breath until he had to copy the sound it made. Batrug
reached behind him and prodded Drazzok. “We didn’t ‘ave no breakfast.” Batrug replied, “But maybe da necrons’ll ‘ave somethin’ for ya to eat.” Drazzok’s eyes snapped wide open and he looked around. “Necrons? Where?” There was more
movement form above just as Two Heads’ battlewagon pulled along side the
truck and the Evil Suns began to disembark. Sophie rushed out alongside
the orks, but then ran directly to the truck and climbed aboard, causing
Ratish to frown again. “Somethin’ moved up dare.” Hazug replied and, leaving the engine running he got out of the truck and advanced cautiously towards the movement. Hazug would have expected the necrons to have attacked by now, if it really was them up there. But there was only one way to be really sure. “Oi!” he bellowed, “Who’s dare?” “Hazug?” a voice replied. “No it aint!” Thuggrim bellowed, “Hazug is standin’ down ‘ere. Ya aint Hazug.” “’E’s got a point dare.” Drazzok said, nodding. “Hazug! It me, Gorgoga!” and Gorgoga Ironface appeared on the ridge, waving the hand that was not wrapped in a powerclaw, “Its just me.” “Gorgoga?” Hazug called out, “Wotcha doin’ ‘ere all alone?” Gorgoga began to carefully pick his way down to the track, but every now and again he lost his footing for a moment and slid. Near the bottom he final lost his footing fully and slid down the remainder of the slope, landing in a heap on the track at Hazug’s feet. “Hazug!” he called out at the Blood Axe standing over him, “In da name of Gork’n’Mork ya is a welcome sight. I’s been looking for more lads for ages, but I can’t find none.” “Ya didn’t answer the question Gorgoga.” Two Heads said, “Wotcha doin’ out ‘ere with no lads?” then the other head continued with, “Ya ‘ad a fort full of ‘em last time we met.” “Dey’s dead.” Gorgoga said, “An ‘ole bunch of metal lads came and killed ‘em. All of ‘em. I ‘as been lookin’ for some more lads to go back an ‘ave go at ‘em, but everywhere else I goes it looks like da metal lads ‘as been dare first.” Hazug snorted as he relaxed and lowered his rifle. “Figures.” He said, “Dey’d want to clear out all da lads near dare own fort.” “So ya knows
about ‘em den?” Gorgoga asked. Gorgoga frowned. “And ‘ere was me thinkin’ dat dey was somethin’ dat berk Cognailer’s put together.” He said, “After all, ‘e went down da mine before dem necrons came out of it.” “Wot’s dat?” Hazug asked. “Well Cognailer kept goin’ into da mine but not doin’ any-“ Gorgoga began. “Nah,” Hazug interrupted, “not dat bit. Da bit about da necrons comin’ out of ya mine.” “Well dey did.” Gorgoga told him, “First dare was dis big cloud of metal bugs wot started eatin’ everythin’ dey landed on and den dare was dis ‘uge mob of tinboys marchin’ out at us.” Hazug smiled. “Gorgoga ya’ve done it!” he yelled and he slapped the Goff’s arm. “Done wot?” Gorgoga asked. “Ya’ve found dare fort!” Hazug replied, “Its at da bottom of ya mine.” Then he turned towards Two Heads, “Get ya lads back on ya wagon.” He said, “We’s ‘eadin’ back to da boss. ‘E needs to know dis.” Two Heads nodded. “Ya ‘eard ‘im lads!” he called out, “Back on da wagon and get ready to roll out.” As Hazug
strode back towards his truck he called out over his shoulder. Gorgoga grinned and ran to the truck. With any luck Warboss Kromag would shortly be giving him a new mobs of orks to attack the necrons with. “Hazug, what
about the Death Skulls?” Sophie asked as Hazug returned to the truck, “We
haven’t found them yet.” Kastotek watched from a distance as the lone ork his destroyers had been hunting boarded the crude vehicle and it drove off. This presented a problem to him. The style of clothing and armour worn by the lone ork had resembled that worn by numerous others at the settlement located right on top of the palace and so it was possible that he was aware of its location. Kastotek and his unit had been toying with the ork, giving him just enough hints that they were following him to encourage him to try and escape. The plan had been to wait until he reached open ground and mow him down, but now this had backfired on them and he had reached a more mobile group of orks. If they returned to their kin with word of the palace’s location then Mazakatek would have Kastotek’s head. “Prepare to attack.” He said, “They must not escape.” It was Ratish that first noticed the sound of alien engines. “Master! Listen!” he exclaimed as he looked up into the sky, “Ratish ‘ears necrons comin’.” “Is ya sure?” Hazug asked from the driver’s seat, “I don’t see nought ahead.” “Dey is behind us master.” Ratish replied. “I see them!” Sophie snapped, plucking her lasgun from the floor of the truck, “Its those flying ones again. The ones that attacked the market.” Hazug swerved the truck and braked, allowing Two Heads’ battlewagon to draw alongside and he waved at it. A moment later Two Heads himself appeared at one of the weapon mountings. “Wotcha doin’?” he called out. “Necrons!” Hazug shouted, “Da flyin’ ones.” And he waved behind the two vehicles. Two Heads looked around and squinted. Sure enough he spotted the dark shapes of the necrons destroyers in the sky and he saw that they were getting closer. “So wot do we do?” he asked. Hazug glanced at Gorgoga. “Any good ‘idin’ places around ‘ere?” he asked, “Big enough for da battlewagon.” Gorgoga thought for a moment. As a goff he was not used to hiding, but that did not mean that he had never had to search for someone that was. A persistent problem for the hill settlements were rebel gretchin and the occasional human outlaws that would steal equipment and supplies before retreating to caves. “Take a left up ‘ere.” he said, leaning between Hazug and Drazzok and indicating where Hazug should go, “Dare’s steep ‘ills either side dat’ll keep us out of sight of da metal lads and a big cave a bit further along. If ya’s fast enough we’ll make it.” “Fast?” Drazzok said, “Wot makes ya reckon dis trukk’s fast? It aint even red.” “’Ang on.” Hazug said and he pushed his foot down as hard as he could on the gas pedal and the truck shot forwards. “Gorrid!” Two Heads shouted as he climbed back inside the battlewagon, “Follow dat trukk!” Though much heavier than Hazug’s truck the battlewagon had the advantage of a good coating of bright red paint that provided it with a useful boost to its speed both on roads and across country. As all orks knew, it was a scientific fact that ‘red ones go faster’. Hazug’s truck tilted as he took the turning pointed out to him at a faster speed than any human driver would attempt. By ork standards it was about average. “Dare it is!”
Gorgoga shouted, pointing to the cave entrance up ahead. Only just behind him, Gorrid brought the battlewagon around without managing to lift either a wheel or track off the ground. He watched Hazug drive into the cave and followed him, not bothering to slow down even when he lost sight of the truck. Fortunately, the first thing that Hazug did when he entered the cave was to pull over to the side as he slowed down and then stopped. Thus when the battlewagon came roaring in after him it sped by, narrowly missing slamming into the side of the truck. Hazug switched off the engine before he jumped to the ground and ran to the cave entrance. “Stay back!” he yelled as the rear ramp of the battlewagon dropped open and Two Heads and several Evil Suns began to rush towards him. “So wot’s ‘appenin’?” Two Heads asked, staying just a little further inside the cave than Hazug. “I reckon dey was followin’ me.” Gorgoga said as he got out of the truck and wandered towards Hazug and Two Heads. “Oh dat’s just bleedin’ great dat is.” Drazzok said angrily as he too disembarked from the truck, “I don’t suppose dat it entered dat tin-plated ‘ead ya got to tell us dat dare was a bunch of aliens followin’ ya when we offered ya a lift did it?” “Well I wasn’t sure.” Gorgoga replied, “It could ‘ave been grots. Da ‘ills are full of ‘em, dats ‘ow I knew about dis place. I ‘unted a bunch of ‘em down ‘ere last winter when dey came nickin’ gubbins off me meks.” “Well we can’t stay in ‘ere.” Hazug said, “We needs to get back to da boss and let know about da mine.” “Plus ‘idin’s a crap plan.” Drazzok said, “It aint natural to go ‘idin’ when dare’s fightin’ to be done.” “’Ow strong are dese flyin’ necrons?” one of Two Heads asked. “Dey can take out wagons if ya give ‘em long enough.” Hazug said, “And lighter stuff like me trukk’ll get ripped apart.” “So wot’s ya plan den?” Drazzok asked, “Ya got one I know. Ya always ‘as one.” Hazug thought for a moment. When they flew over the ork city the destroyers had avoided battle with the orks and instead struck at the relatively helpless humans. This told him that they were not looking for the best fight they could get; they were just looking to kill as many as possible and easily as possible. “Bait.” Hazug said. “Wot?” Gorgoga said. “We show ‘em somethin’ dat should easy to kill.” Hazug said, “Den when dey comes to kill it we get dem first.” “Could work.” One of Two Heads said as the other just nodded in agreement, “But wot do we use as bait?” “Aint ya guessed?” Drazzok asked, “’E’ll be da bait. Wontcha Hazug?” Hazug just smiled. |
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