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Chapta 5 | |
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Da Raiders From Da Shadows Chapta 5 |
“Hazug? What are you doing?” Sophie asked when she looked up and saw him walk towards the door leading to the garage loaded down with weapons. There were the pistol and stout blade that he always carried, even around the house, of course. But also he had his rifle slung over his shoulder, the long alien blade that had proven capable of slicing through even the most unnaturally resilient substances and one of the lasguns he typically leant to Sophie when expecting a fight so she had something more than just a pistol to protect herself. But of more significance was the bulky crate tucked beneath one arm. The crate was one of a large number brought to this world. It held a powerful anti-tank missile launcher that, along with lasguns like the one often leant to Sophie, were to have equipped a force intended to restore the planet’s former Imperial Governor to power. Though that plot was itself merely part of a larger and more sinister scheme. Hazug and Two Heads had stumbled on the arms cache before it could be put to use and had kept most of them for themselves. Apart from one battle against the cybork army of a renegade painboy, Sophie had never seen Hazug take any of the missile launchers from his personal armoury. “We is goin’ out.” Hazug replied, kicking open the garage door. Sophie stopped scrubbing the floor and got up here self. “Going out? Where?” she asked while Hazug dumped the weapons in the back of his truck. “Dunno yet.” he replied, “We needs to go ask a flyboy.” “A flyboy?” Sophie responded. “Yeah, dat’s wot master said.” Ratish said from behind Sophie and she turned to see him struggling to carry the large heavy machine gun that Hazug sometimes fitted to his truck. “Be careful there.” Sophie said to the gretchin, noticing that he was approaching the area of the kitchen floor that she had just cleaned, “I’ve just cleaned there.” “Ratish can walk where ‘e wants to.” Ratish replied, “I is doin’ work for master. Da git can clean it up again after Ratish ‘as put footprints on it.” And he stomped his feet on the floor as he continued. “That’s not what I mean-” Sophie said, but before she could finish Ratish slipped on the wet floor and went flying across it, squealing. There was a ‘Clang!’ as Ratish’s head struck the metal water bucket that Sophie had been using and its contents were spilled across the floor. The bucket slid across the floor also, just ahead of Ratish until it reached the wall where it came to a sudden stop before the gretchin did. Ratish sat up suddenly after the wall brought him to a stop, tugging at the upturned bucket now stuck on his head. “Master! ‘Elp!” he called out, “Da git stuck da bucket on Ratish’s ‘ead on purpose.” Hazug looked around and saw Ratish trying to get his head free of the bucket while Sophie looked on and laughed. “Give ‘im an ‘and Sophie.” Hazug said, “I is busy.” Sophie smiled. “Ya ‘eard wot master said!” Ratish called out from beneath the bucket, “’Elp me!” “Oh I’ll help all right.” Sophie replied and she picked up a large spoon from the work top, “How’s this?” she asked and she struck the spoon against the side of the bucket as hard as she could, producing another loud ‘Clang!’ “Aaaah!” Ratish cried out as the noise echoed about inside. “Sorry, didn’t quite catch that.” Sophie said and she hit the bucket again. “Aaaah! Master! ‘Elp!” “Wotcha playin’ at?” Hazug demanded, snatching the spoon away from Sophie. “I, uh-“ Sophie began. “Never mind.” Hazug interrupted, “We best get movin’, get Ratish and ya self in da truck.” “Where are we going?” Sophie asked. “I don’t wanna go wanderin’ about after da eldar without knowin’ where to look. We is goin’ to see if we can get some directions.” Hazug hammered on the door to Two Heads’ garage with his fist. “Open up!” he yelled, “I got work for ya!” From beyond the door came the sound of orks hard at work maintaining vehicles and when one of the members of Two Heads’ mob opened the door Hazug was not surprised to see them scurrying about behind him. “Wotcha Gorrid.” Hazug said, “Is ya boss in?” “Yeah,” Gorrid replied as he stood back to that Hazug and his servants could enter, “’E’s over dare.” He added, pointing. Hazug looked and saw Two Heads sitting down with his arms folded and his heads facing away from each other in silence. Then he noticed that there was a white chalk line running down the length of the garage that ran beneath the chair, dividing the room into two roughly equal parts. “Wot’s ‘appened now?” Hazug asked Gorrid. “Da boss ‘ad an argument dis mornin’,” the Evil Sun replied, “and ‘e’s settled it by drawin’ da line down da middle of da buildin’. Everythin’ on one side is controlled by one of ‘im and everythin’ on da other by da other one. ‘E aint speakin’ to ‘imself.” “Well I don’t wot could possibly go wrong with dat idea.” Hazug said sarcastically, but Gorrid did not get the joke. Hazug strode across the room to where Two Heads sat ignoring himself. “Wotcha.” He said and both of Two Heads looked at him. “Wotcha.” They both responded at the same time. “Stop interuptin’!” one of the heads yelled at the other, “I was speakin’!” “I was speakin’ first!” the other head replied and he swung a fist towards the first head. Hazug grabbed the fist and looked from head to head. “Dis is important.” He said. “Go one den, wot can I do for ya?” one of Two Heads asked and both heads went back to looking at Hazug. “I reckon dat dare’s still a bunch of eldar runnin’ about out dare somewhere. Dey sank a boat a couple of nights ago, which means dat dey ‘ave been prowlin’ about far away from dare gateway. Now dat da gate’s been blown up dey’ll be stuck ‘ere.” Hazug told him. “Well tell da boss.” “I ‘ave done. ‘E don’t care.” “A double farter eh?” Hazug nodded. “So wotcha want my ‘elp for den?” one of Two Heads asked. “Da flyboys shot down one of da eldar fightas wot was protectin’ da gate, but another one got away. I needs to know wot way ‘e went.” Two Heads both smiled. “So ya needs me to find da flyboy for ya?” one said while the other nodded. “Dat’s right,” Hazug replied, “da bars where dey ‘ang out won’t let me in. But ya is an Evil Sun with an ‘ole load of lads, so dey’ll probably let you in.” “Wot’s in it for me?” “Ya still owe me.” Hazug said and he jabbed a thumb over his shoulder towards one of the vehicles in the garage. As well as the large ork built battlewagon that Two Heads favoured, he also owned a second armoured vehicle. This one bore all the hallmarks of human construction. Its lines were neat and straight, but it still retained a rugged and durable appearance. This was a rhino armoured personnel carrier that Two Heads had taken as part of his share of the loot captured during the recent battle around the now destroyed eldar gateway. Vehicles such as this were highly regarded in ork society, since they were trophies of battle taken from some of the humans’ best troops. Additionally, since the rhino had not taken a direct role in the battle it was in pristine condition. “Alright den,” Two Heads said as he got to his feet, “But dis makes us even right?” “Not even close.” Hazug replied. Then he heard Ratish cry out as the gretchin walked into a wall, “Oh yeah,” he added, “dare’s one more thing an’ all.” “Wot?” “Can one of ya lads ‘ave a look at me grot? Blood. The smell was unmistakable. Haemonculus Varian took another deep breath and drew the odour in. Admittedly the smell was stale, it had been some time since this place had seen fresh blood dripping onto its floor, but Varian’s keen olfactory senses could detect the slightest hint of blood from dozens of different species many years after it was spilled. Even most chemical cleaning agents could not be guaranteed to mask the sweet smell from him and no one had ever tried to hide the blood in this place. The chamber had once been a place of terror for the mon keigh that ruled this world before the orks had swarmed over it and Varian studied the instruments of pain that they had left behind when they evacuated it, picking up several of the smaller examples and comparing them, a task made easier by the fact that some centuries earlier the hamonculus who had taught him had seen fit to graft an extra pair of arms onto him. Whether they had come from an unwilling donor or been grown in some tank Varian had never enquired. He did not care. The chamber was just one room in a much larger complex that the mon keigh had built beneath the surface, apparently as part of the planetary defences that had failed to stave off the orks all those years ago. That the greenskins had never discovered its location for themselves was obvious. If they had done so they would have picked it clean of everything not fixed down and come back with tools to remove everything that was. One of the dark eldar’s scouting parties had discovered the entrance by following some of the mon keigh who still made their homes here in secret, far from the prying eyes of the orks. Most of them were still here, but instead of residing in the numerous chambers they had occupied they now filled some of the more secure chambers in the dungeons located deeper within the complex. How thoughtful of the mon keigh, Varian thought to himself, they have provided us with the slave pens for their own people. A sound behind him caught Varian’s attention and he whirled around, his hand reaching for a weapon. He remained alert when he saw the succubus Lyanil standing in the doorway. If she were here to kill them Varian knew that his throat would already have been slit from behind, but there was no sense in taking chances. “Haemonculus.” The wych said. “Yes.” Varian replied, smiling just in case it may distract Lyanil form believing that he was ready to defend himself. It was unlikely she would fall for such a ruse, but he did it anyway. “How may I help you?” he added. “The archon risks trapping us here.” She replied as she entered the room. Like Varian she was drawn towards the mon keigh’s torture devices and she ran her fingers across them. At least one of the implements retained a sharp edge and Varian picked up on the scent of blood, fresh this time, as she suffered a tiny cut. The only reaction from Lyanil to the injury was a slight shudder as the brief sensation of pain hit her. Then she continued to speak, “He should not have moved us so far away from the portal, let alone brought us here. If the orks find us here then this will be our tomb. “We are safe enough.” Varian replied,“ Kalabite warriors watch all of the approaches and will warn us if the greenskins come near in time for us to leave and there is a force protecting the portal itself.” “This is not
how we fight haemonculus, you know this. We strike, we take and we leave.
We do not set up defensive positions that are vulnerable to our enemies’
heavy weapons.” Before Lyanil could answer a third figure appeared in the doorway. It was Keril, one of the eldar known as wracks that served haemonculi like Varian, allowing their masters to experiment on and modify them in return for the opportunity to one day become a haemonculus for themselves. Just as Varian’s master had modified him. “Master.” Keril said softly, bowing to Varian. “Speak.” Varian said. “Lord Schraycht requests your presence sire. Both of you.” “And what does the archon want with us?” Varian asked and he glanced at Lyanil. Perhaps he is aware of what the wych is saying behind his back, he thought. “Hynor has returned to us sire, along with a razorwing pilot. It would seem that the orks have destroyed the webway portal.” Lyanil looked at the haemonculus and smiled. “I told you so.” She said flatly. Mishura knelt before Lord Shraycht as she told how the ork aircraft had destroyed the webway gate. “You failed me.” The archon said softly, not a hint of anger in his voice. “There were too many my lord archon. We-“ Mishura began. “Not you!” Lord Shraycht suddenly yelled and he looked instead at Hynor. The dracon looked about nervously, feeling the eyes of the archon’s courtiers on him. “My… My lord?” he said nervously. “Be silent fool!” Lord Shracyht shouted at him, “I ordered you to watch over the webway gate and now it is gone! Destroyed by savages!” “But my lord-“ “I said be silent!” and Lord Shraycht leapt at Hynor, landing immediately in front of him. The archon swung out his arm and slapped his subordinate with the back of his gauntleted hand, the various tiny spikes embedded there ripping open his skin. His two sslyth bodyguards slithered forwards, anxious not to leave their master exposed to assassination. “You’re underlings informed me how you waited until the orks had already opened fire on the gateway before you summoned reinforcements.” So that was it, Hynor thought, one of his own trueborn warriors had betrayed him by distorting what had happened so as to cast him in a bad light, probably hoping to take his place as dracon. And it seemed that it had worked, the archon now held him responsible for the loss of the webway gate. “If it were not for the portable portal that we brought with us we would now be stranded here because of your incompetence.” Lord Schraycht yelled, “In any case we can longer move any vehicles to or from the webway. How do you suppose that we remedy that?” “I-“ Hynor began, knowing that his neck was on the line. “Perhaps it is not entirely your fault though.” Lord Shraycht said softly, interrupting Hynor, “Perhaps you did not notice the orks until it was too late.” “I did not my lord.” Hynor said with a sigh of relief. Perhaps he would survive this after all. Then, with a single swift motion Lord Shraycht reached out his hand and plucked one of Hynor’s eyes from its socket and held it up to the light. “Does there seem to be anything wrong with this to you?” he asked, turning towards the haemonculus Varian who was standing just behind him as Hynor screamed, clutching at the bloody socket. “No lord.” The hunched figure replied in a rasping voice. “I thought not.” Lord Shraycht said and he turned back towards Hynor. He reached out again and brushed his fingertips across the dracon’s throat. The tiny blades embedded beneath the archon’s fingernails sliced through Hynor’s flesh and he collapsed as the major arteries in his neck were cut. He spluttered twice as blood pumped from the wound then lay still. “Take this.” Lord Shraycht said to Varian as he handed him Hynor’s eye, “Make him better next time.” |
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