So, I was planning on getting this up today - but a massive storm came in which means the next installment isn't going up until tomorrow! Sorry folks.
Coryphaus pondered the question for a few moments before nodding his head, “Give the word and I’ll bring one more spell against them to assure the victory will be in our favour.” Telemachus grunted an acknowledgement before turning his head to Iaxus. “You heard our witch, Brother. Hunt well and he’ll clean up after you’re done.” Iaxus bowed slightly, turning and skulking off – the conjured darkness Coryphaus had summoned following the willowy sniper as he knelt and prepared for his task. Iaxus almost reverently lifted his prized possession – a sleek stalker bolter, black as night with a white raven embossed on either side. The sniper dismissed his preysight, trusting to the enhanced night vision of the scope against the sorcerous darkness. The crosshairs played across multiple targets before resting on head of a xenos more ornately adorned and with far superior weapons than the others lurking around it. A cruel expression spread across his face, on any normal creature it could be mistaken for a smile of joy. The lightest depression of the trigger sent the bolter round hissing through the air. The head and armour of the dark elder exploded in an eruption of viscera and bone. The next died half a second later. Then the third, the fourth, the fifth, the sixth, the seventh and the eighth all fell in the same boneless fashion. The last left alive was a desiccated creature who looked nothing like the other xenos – the only thing that kept Iaxus from firing was the device he knew well. “Highest priority targets eliminated – save one, shadowfield generator, he’s all yours, Coryphaus,” Iaxus whispered over the vox, his bolter never lowering as he watched the remaining xenos hunt around in a panic. Coryphaus laughed mirthlessly, letting his darkness flood from the corridors and out into the room the xenos filled. Then the shrieks came, terrible sounds that were music to the ears of the Eighth Legion. Vicious knives and swords, flashing talons and brutish axes – this was the butcher’s work of the Night Lords. The simple, brutal efficiency as they slaughtered their way through the confused Dark Eldar. Sicora died screaming, his body rent in two by the desiccated creature that lurked with the xenos. Kaliphas was lifted into the air by a withered arm, his neck viciously broken with a single motion. The Haemonculus cast the body aside, half-floating and half-slithering forward. Cruel blades glinted on tentacle-like protrusions, and a vicious bladed talon dripped with gore. “Sorcerer, now’s the time, that creature is going to destroy us otherwise,” Iaxus’ whisper-thin voice hissed directly to Coryphaus as the sorcerer waded forward, striking down enemies with his crackling force talons, before turning his gaze to the Haemonculus. Time slowed as the glowing eyes of his helmet locked on the four oblong eyes of the Dark Eldar commander. Three tentacles arched, striking for the sorcerer – two were deflected by a sorcerous pulse. The last evaded, close to striking when a shimmering shadow of a blade sliced through the air and lopped the appendage off in a welter of oil and gore. The limbs retracted and Telemachus marched forward, spinning Mortis Lux in his hand. “Work your magic, witch – I’ll keep you safe for once,” Telemachus’ knife and sword shifted into guarded positions as the Haemonculus writhed and assessed this new threat. More of the hideous appendages arched above the back of the creature like the tail of a scorpion, lashing at the two Night Lords – the strikes blocked by Telemachus as Coryphaus stood behind – lost to the fighting and absorbed in his whispered chant. Telemachus snarled and hissed as blades made it through his defenses, slicing through his armour and drawing sprays of blood from the fine cuts. More of the writhing, mechanical tentacles lay at Telemachus’ feet – two to join the first he’d removed. Telemachus’ was starting to slow as the Haemonculus drew closer, a burning inside of him weighing his arms down. More cuts appeared across his armour, more blood ran down his ceramite-sheathed limbs. Coryphaus’ eyes opened as another blade sliced along Telemachus’ gut – a power opened within the shadowfield – the Haemonculus began to shriek as its shield contained everything inside of it. The sorcerous lightning flashing and arcing as it overloaded the mechanical parts of the creature’s body, charring the flesh until everything, but the generator, overloaded. The explosion was contained by the shadowfield, the amulet dropping to the ground, bloody and blackened - but still functioning. The shield only dissipating as it lost full connection to any power source. Telemachus dropped to his knees, sucking in filtered air as he felt the venom burning through his veins. Coryphaus laid a hand on his captain’s shoulder, mutual spite put aside for a moment as the darkness cleared. Two brothers had been lost to the Haemonculus, three more – including Hapshan – had lost one limb or another when fighting the Dark Eldar. Iaxus emerged from the corridor, stalker bolter held loosely in his grip. The loss of Sicora and Kaliphas would be felt later on, “Iaxus – remove their gene seed as carefully as you can and place it in Sicora’s narthecium.” Coryphaus said softly over the vox, the small sniper moving off to the task at hand. Telemachus snarled, forcing himself to his feet – the venom still stung, and it showed as he moved in a slightly more sluggish way. “The rest of you, come along – sorcerer, leave your pet behind with Iaxus to aid our brother. We move on to our target. Iaxus, you’re to hold this area – I don’t think there are anymore of the xenos in here, but I can’t be sure. Move out,” Telemachus was already marching as the rest – those who could walk, caught up. Iaxus and Velcoran remained behind – Iaxus to guard and Velcoran due to the lack of a leg. Coryphaus turned to Nihil, looking down at the small serf. (( Choices: A) Some kind words to cheer the boy up in the face of all this death. B) Harsh truths. I know it's a bit 'lighter' than the other choices, but I felt this was a good place for this part to stop. Voting closes on June 3rd! ))
I was secretly hoping everyone would have picked A... because that would have been hilarious for me to write.
I think A would have produced some kind of creepy humor Night Lords have been known for...so i`ll vote A.B is too mainstream
