In all his many years of waging war, Marneus had never seen anything like it. Images flickered across his vision, as the creature could not seem to keep its shape. It was a towering inferno, head and shoulders taller than him, even with the Armor of Antilochus. A myriad of aspects vied for dominance, each an image of a particular strategy in war perfected. Wreathed in smoke and spewing flame in its wake, the abomination thundered towards the Ultramarine elite without hesitation or fear. Squads Barachus and Varudon marched into the behemoth’s path, baring their thunder hammers and lightning claws in challenge.
As a predator acquiring its quarry, the Avatar leaned back and unleashed a tremendous roar. Each son of Guilleman staggered, and as Calgar turned to Tigurius, he saw the venerable Librarian screaming at the top of his lungs. Whatever sound the creature was making cut across the dimensional barriers and afflicted those with psychic power most drastically. And yet, as the Lord of Macragge turned back to the xenos, he saw the fragile Eldar standing tall. Their bewitched monster empowered them as it crippled the Ultramarines, and a fell light of determination appeared in their once-defeated eyes.
“Do not give in to their witchcraft, brothers!” Calgar yelled over the vox-link, though he was not sure if any could hear or acknowledge him. “For Orar, Guilleman, and the Emperor, bring that abomination to its knees!”
A throaty and defiant confirmation answered him, and the Ultramarines stepped forward.
The raspy exhaust of a wave of krak missiles erupted, and seconds later they slammed into the Avatar with enough collective force to fell a Land Raider tank. The heavy hammering of bolt shells and the scream of assault cannon rounds joined in the chorus of war, showering the monster in a torrent of gunfire. The Eldar Champion swayed and staggered beneath the weight of the assault, and a great cheer went up from the Ultramarine squads when the beast dropped to a knee. A Predator spun where it sat and fired twin lascannon beams, scoring a direct hit in the Avatar’s blackened chest and dropped it to the ground.
The fey xenos were not idle as their idol took such punishment. Walls of shuriken fire and bolts of refined plasma greeted whatever Space Marine was not eager in his search for cover. Rockets from concealed Dark Reapers pinned the Terminators in place while Wave Serpents and mounted Fire Dragons circled around with their armor-shredding weaponry. The Predator that had felled the Avatar was in turn pierced by a bright blue lance-beam and exploded spectacularly as its ammunition and fuel detonated. Marneus was appalled at the losses on both sides, the likes of which he had not seen since the War for Macragge.
“My lord,” Tigurius called out from behind the Chapter Master. He was obviously shaken from the psychic assault he had endured. “We must pull back deeper into the compound. Their monster has been felled, and a fury has overtaken them. We will defeat them in this protracted battle, but it will be a most pyrrhic victory.”
“Aye, brother. This is Lord Macragge to all units- initiate Astartes pattern epsilon. Keep to cover.”
As the last words left his lips, Calgar saw the unthinkable. The Avatar raised an arm and planted its palm on the ground, pushing itself upright once again. The tormented wraithbone of its construction seemed to be restructuring itself even as the creature regained its balance. Strangely, the creature’s shoulders heaved up and down. With a hurt pride and a snarl of disgust, Calgar realized the Avatar was laughing, if such a thing was capable of a sense of humor.
In response to their demi-god’s resurgence, the Eldar surged forward, pouring shot after shot into the Ultramarines as they fell back. To their credit, the Ultramarines moved with perfect precision and haste, all the while burdening themselves with the fallen. Disciplined retreats and counter-volleys forced the maniacal Eldar to slow their advance on the flanks, but the Avatar had broken into a run and was closing once again on squads Baruchus and Varodon. In his heart Marneus could not willingly allow such noble warriors to die alone, and in his mind he knew that if the Avatar broke through them, no defensible position present would withstand the demon’s fury.
“Tigurius, you have operational command,” Calgar ordered. “I am joining Baruchus and Varodon. Sergeant Baruchus, activate your teleport homer.”
With a thought, Calgar activated his armor’s teleportation device, and with a flash, he vanished into the warp. A moment later, he phased into existence directly before Sergeant Baruchus.
“With me, brothers,” Marneus ordered.
On his right, squad Varodon lumbered forward and activate the power cells within their lightning claws. They fanned out into a tactical pattern taught to assault squads that was meant to absorb and counter the charging momentum of a tank. Sergeant Varodon took the center, flanked by three talon-bearing Terminators on either side of him. They stalked forward, weapons raised, ready to close on the monster’s flanks. The Avatar broke into a run, letting its eagerness to fight push aside any thoughts of waiting. In its hand, the blazing sword was remolded into a massive spear. With a swiftness and grace that defied all assumptions about its size, the Avatar closed the gap and leapt forward.
The infernal spear impacted on the exact center point of Varodon’s armor before the century-old Sergeant had time to close into a defensive posture. It cut through him as easily as through robes and stuck him into the ground. Pushing its weight forward, the Avatar vaulted into the air and over the charging Terminators. A blast of energy dislodged the immolating corpse of Varodon and the soil beneath him, freeing the spear. The demi-god twisted in the air as the weapon changed once more, taking on the aspect of an axe. The creature landed in a crouch, not ten meters from the Chapter Master. In an instant, Calgar activated the Gauntlets and stepped forward, flanked by a wall of energy shields and hammers cackling with lightning.
In two broad steps, the Avatar covered the distance and raised a two-handed deathstrike. It was so fast that the Lord of the Ultramarines had no time to react. A bright, white light flared into his vision, and for a moment, time stood still. All around him, multi-hued colors conveyed a kaleidoscopic display of the world. The warriors of squad Baruchus had not yet fully turned to confront the Eldar construct. The Avatar itself was still in mid-air, its knees bent, its body bent forward, and its weapon inches above his head. The pointed corner of the axe-blade had pierced the protective barrier by millimeters, and increased the immaterial wound with every passing second. On impulse, Calgar turned around and saw the face of Tigurius, many meters behind, locked in concentration. His hand was outstretched. It was he that had come to Calgar’s aid.
Once again, everything went white, and the space in front of the Force Commander exploded with tremendous force. Colossal warp energies compelled both warriors in opposite directions and time hastened back to its relentless pace. The Avatar landed on its toes and its feet tore great molten gouges in the earth as it arrested its momentum. Calgar slammed into the ground like a heavy stone next to the Librarian.
“By the honor of Guilleman, I could not accept your orders, my lord,” Tigurius said. “Captain Sicarius has the defensive situation under control, and it seems the rest of the xenos are content to let us fight their idol undisturbed.”
“And they say old Cassius is stubborn,” Calgar jested as he spat dust from his mouth. “It does me great honor to have you here, old friend.”
Sergeant Baruchus was enraged beyond all measure at the death of his closest friend and battle-brother, but he still felt compelled to silently acknowledge the Avatar’s power. Its movements were almost too fast to follow, and the squad leader saw no other course of action than to attack and leave his fate to the Emperor. Its damnable weapon shifted into the form of a sword once again and arced towards Brother Partheon. The blade leapt inside the Terminator’s guard and sheared off his shield arm at the shoulder. With its free hand, the Avatar grabbed Brothern Falthius by his shield and tossed him like a child no longer interested in its toy.
Brother Marvien, the longest standing member of Varodon’s unit, swung his talons at the creature’s hindquarters. The Avatar turned its head and saw the attack at the last possible moment before spinning and letting the swipe pass through nothing but air. The demi-god twirled its sword as it spun, slicing off Marvien’s arm at the elbow. Baruchus swung downward with all the might he could muster, aiming squarely for the Avatar’s spine. The creature pushed off its back foot and avoided the blow entirely. It dodged between three more Terminators before thrusting its blade forward and impaling Brother Argus and Brother Orphaed together.
In a tremendous display of savage strength, the Avatar hoisted its sword over its head, with the two Ultramarine still upon the weapon, and hammered it down onto Brother Partheon, crushing his exposed head. Blood sizzled and evaporated in the heat of the sword, and with a growl, the Avatar flooded it with power. The blade seared through Astartes flesh and armor alike and cut itself free.
Above the swirling melee, the sky darkened. Clouds swirled and grumbled. A bolt of lightning punched into the Avatar’s head, stunning the beast. Sergeant Baruchus used the distraction and struck the Avatar in the shoulder with his weapon, discharging a wash of energy. Another bolt thundered into the demi-god, forcing it back several more meters. A third descended from the skies, but the Avatar raised its weapon and absorbed the ethereal lightning.
Varro Tigurius stepped forward, chanting ancient words of power. A ghostly, enlarged mimic-sheath appeared around his staff, and he swung the thing with all the strength of Guilleman himself. Staff and sword collided in a burst of energy, forcing the Avatar back yet another step. Swinging his staff in a carefully orchestrated pattern, the Librarian traced his own image. With each movement of the weapon, the image became more and more real, until it stood as an empyreal reflection of its maker. The summoning swelled to a size comparable to the Avatar and, with of flick of Tigurius’ wrist, it charged.
Instead of striking the Avatar, however, it leapt upon the monster and embraced it with a superhuman grip. The conjuration bloated and swelled once more, this time to obscene proportions, and detonated. The explosion leveled all but the Avatar, and tore a hole in the very fabric of reality. A swirling vortex opened and began to swallow much of the smoke and fire emitted by the Avatar, taking a measure of the creature’s power with it. Marneus opened fire with both of his Gauntlets, hoping he might add even the slightest of weights to the battle.
The Avatar’s mask flowed into a shape of frustration and anger, and it roared once more. Everything shook with the force of the exclamation, and Tigurius doubled over in pain. Blood poured from every opening in the Librarian’s head as he tried with all of his mental might to keep the psychic sound at bay. The Avatar thrust its blade into the vortex, and like a hot iron cauterizing a fresh wound, the hole blistered and sealed shut. The Avatar heaved and growled, and to the surprise of all, spoke in words that the Ultramarines heard with their minds as much as their ears.
“I…am…Kaela Mensha Khaine.”
++++++
Marneus pushed himself up and stumbled towards Tigurius, picking up the fallen Librarian in his massive gauntlets.
“Brother, I don’t know what strength you have left, but I need it now,” the Chapter Master said.
“Such incredible power…” was all Tigurius could respond with. The Librarian blinked absent-mindedly and Calgar feared the worst.
“Are you with me, son of Guilleman? Will you stand when your brothers need you the most?”
After a pause that seemed to last for an eternity, Tigurius spoke. “Always…”.
“The legend of your stubbornness grows, my friend,” Calgar said with a smile. His face turned serious then, and he said “When I tell you, you must hurl me at the demon.”
“What?” Tigurius asked with labored breath.
“Do not question me, Varro! Just do it,” Calgar ordered.
Marneus looked up as the Avatar stood over Sergeant Baruchus. He roared in defiance as the Avatar impaled the squad leader and incinerated him in the same fashion as Varodon.
“Varro, NOW!”
Tigurius rolled onto his shoulder and stretched out his hand. With a horizontal chop from the Librarian, Calgar went airborne. He raised the Gauntlets of Ultramar in front of his face and opened the fingers as wide as he could as he flew at the Avatar. The demi-god turned, and in its weakened state, it could do nothing to avoid or counter the flying Astarte. Marneus slammed into the Avatar and embraced it much as the summoning had. The force of the tackle barreled both into the ground, with the Chapter Master kneeling on the Avatar’s chest.
Calgar reared back and threw a devastating punch that smacked straight into the idol’s face. Two more identical blows pulverized the Avatar’s mask, spraying molten ichor over the Gauntlets and the Armor. The Lord of Ultramar took hold of the monster’s head with both Gauntlets and stood upon its shoulders. Willing the Armor of Antilochus to a power level beyond safe capacity, Calgar pulled upwards. The Avatar’s hands took hold of Marneus’ arms, and the plates of his Terminator armor began to crumple under the pressure. But stunned as it was, the Avatar could not muster the strength it needed. It's head ripped free in a wash of flaming warp-blood, and the Chapter Master screamed to the heavens in victory. He fell to a knee as the hands of the Avatar fell to the ground. The air around them condensed and pulsed, snuffing out the flickering flame within the wraithbone monster.
++++++
Marneus tossed the head aside and lumbered off of the rapidly disintegrating statue. He walked as quickly as his damaged armor would allow toward Tigurius and knelt down beside his utterly drained friend.
“We did it, Varro,” Marneus said. “The beast is dead.”
“It seems you will need some rest and recreation, my lord,” Tigurius gasped.
“Not all of us enjoying spending time pouring over the old tomes, brother,” Calgar said as he placed a silent Gauntlet on the Librarian’s chest.
Above them both, Thunderhawks began to descend from the skies. At the entrance to the Sepulcher, the remaining Eldar forces were in rapid retreat towards the tree line. The vox-link buzzed to life with Captain Sicarius’ voice.
“Sicarius to all units- the Eldar are in full retreat. Acquire Lord Calgar’s signal and assess his situation immediately. Keep alert for enemy feints.”
Moments later, as Rhinos pulled up alongside the fallen Terminators and unloaded several Apothecaries, Marneus Calgar collapsed onto his side and let himself rest.
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