The Third Chapter's Shadow-pattern Stormbirds descended rapidly. Bukayo Arshavin studied his datapad.
Grapplehook Island had natural cliffs, making it a natural fortress.
He saw that the island was densely fortified, most of the defenses dating back to the Dark Age of Technology, with some Gothic additions.
The swallow-tailed temporary decorations of the Baalite statues fluttered in the wind. The structures left by the 9th Legion's engineers had been fully utilized by the defenders.
Voss-pattern Lightning fighters dropped air-to-ground Hellstrike missiles, waves of them slamming into the void generators, their energy bursts rippling across the tactical display.
The armored bays of the anti-aircraft batteries spat dense barrages of fire at the exposed black iron birds.
Bukayo studied the terrain on the holographic display, selecting a landing zone near the lowest point on Elegy Island, adjacent to Grapplehook.
Forty black Shadow-pattern Stormbirds dove in unison, their twin-linked heavy bolters roaring.
Ranks of fire swept across the deeply entrenched fortresses, suppressing the ring of guns.
Yellow runes suddenly flared. Bukayo looked up from his helmet display, through the viewport, at a black Stormbird.
It wobbled in the air, weaving erratically.
'The Khrave's psychic intrusion. The pilot is fighting it off, unable to send word.' The "Spirit Warlock," Bukayo, leaned back, his eyelids drooping, covering his eyes.
His breathing grew slow and steady. He was instantly in a grey world, but still within the Stormbird's cabin.
The "Spirit Warlock" was already familiar with this world, the world of "Nightmare."
The "Spirit Warlock's" powerful spirit body drew two scrolls, crafted by Chief Librarian Thomas, from the belt of his black Tartaros-pattern Terminator Armour.
Feeling his spirit body had not yet reached its limit, he took up three more scrolls.
The "Spirit Warlock" flew to the viewport. The grey mist expanded with his movement, but always remained around him.
The flashes of gunfire, the instruments and warning lights in the cabin, were all unusually dim and tinged with a hazy quality.
Ethereal, elliptical auras surrounded each Stormbird and the houses behind their closed viewports. A hazy light held this world together.
Bukayo, in the manner of a "Nightmare," flew through the viewport and, through the thick mist, entered the cockpit.
He took the pilot's seat, looking to the side.
The wind howled. Cold tendrils climbed the pilot's legs, up his feet.
"You cannot resist me!"
The Shadows of Order's frontal lobe tensed like a muscle, resisting the unclean, inhuman mental tendrils probing his mind.
"Xenos, I will fight you until my heart gives out!" the Shadows of Order said, his voice resolute.
"Foolish!" The power intensified, unstoppable.
A voice penetrated his mind.
"Banks. You can help me find him."
"Yes..." Under the guidance of the "Spirit Warlock," Banks murmured.
The "Spirit Warlock's" voice was calm and soothing. "Banks, do not worry. Leave it to me."
Whoosh!
The "Spirit Warlock," Bukayo, his eyes deep, drifted through the grey mist.
In the haze, he saw cold rain falling on Banks.
In the cold downpour, slimy maggots crawled and squirmed.
The "Spirit Warlock," Bukayo, stepped into the thick mist, his obsidian eyes scanning his surroundings.
Though the Khrave's true form was far away in the mindscape, its attempt to possess Banks, to invade his mind, must have left a trace.
He saw Banks stride to the training ground, take a bolter from the weapon rack, and aim at a target.
Bukayo's gaze swept over the grey-black rocks around the training ground, examining every detail.
Crack!
'Khrave... tendrils... psychic...'
Bukayo looked around, recalling the information on the Khrave the Black Emperor had provided.
His eyes flickered as he chanted softly: Night blankets the earth,
'All sink into dreams,"
"...?
"The only destination is silence!"
Everything around him became calm and peaceful in an instant, utterly still.
In that serene atmosphere, a tendril suddenly emerged from among the maggots, writhing.
The "Spirit Warlock," Bukayo, immediately caught the disturbance in the peace, sensing the imbalance.
He raised his right hand, hurling a smooth, fish-skin scroll, and shouting in the Dun language:
"Paralysis!"
A pale green stream shot out, striking the tendril attached to the black armor.
Whoosh!
The tendril detached, unfurling and growing rapidly, lunging at Bukayo.
Roar!
A psychic shockwave pulsed, echoing through the grey world.
The "Spirit Warlock," Bukayo, threw a grey-black scroll, casting it over the tendril.
"Freeze!"
Crystalline streams of light rained down upon the tendril, freezing it solid.
The frozen tendril, encased in ice, crashed down.
Bang!
The ice shattered. The tendril suddenly lashed out.
A burst of colorful flame shot towards Bukayo.
Bukayo hurled another scroll. "Lightning Strike!"
A bolt of lightning appeared from nowhere, striking the tendril with a crack, the tendril exploded, its fluids splattering.
Crackle...
A sizzling, shrieking sound, and the tendrils crumbled.
Flashes of light, telekinetic shockwaves, rose and shot at Bukayo.
Bukayo swung his arm, casting a scroll. Flames engulfed the tendrils.
They burned rapidly, turning to ash.
As the Khrave parasite vanished, the dim light suddenly brightened. Bukayo and Banks emerged from the peaceful trance.
Banks felt as if he had woken from a dream, vaguely aware of returning to the real world.
He opened his eyes, a strange mix of shock from the mental assault and the comfort of a deep sleep.
After a few seconds, he regained his composure, turning to see a vague figure beside him.
"I thank the Chapter Lord for his aid."
"Banks, you performed well. After Muspel, you will be able to go to my Lord." Bukayo's voice was ethereal, as if it didn't quite belong to the material world.
Banks's still-dazed face broke into a wide grin, his obsidian eyes wide.
Bukayo leaped out, walking in the manner of a "Nightmare," returning to his body in his own Stormbird.
...
Elegy Island.
The roar of the Brotherhood of the Moon's bike formation. The White Scars held down their triggers, streaming fire that suppressed the Hydra and Archon turrets' flickering rain of light.
Seven different guns, mounted on the castle walls, swept their fire across the grey-black rock, sending up puffs of white smoke.
Torghun Khan swept his curved power sword, striding forward.
The gleaming blade spun. Slave-soldiers exploded, their limbs spraying.
A face with no eyes turned. A white-armored warrior.
A formless hand, born of psychic force, flew from the rampart, accompanied by a scream, and hurled him into the crowd, against the island's rocks.
Bang!
Torghun Khan rolled and rose, seeing a tendril like a serpent of smoke.
His joints crackled. His fingers, sharp as blades, shot towards the Khrave.
Torghun Khan raised his hand, deflecting a blow aimed at his groin, turning it aside.
He spun, striking back at the xenos.
The Khrave raised its palm. A shimmering psychic barrier materialized.
The gleaming blade struck the barrier with a shriek.
Whoosh!
Torghun was hurled backwards by a telekinetic blast.
With a psychic scream, the Khrave lunged, its claws raking down.
Scrape!
Its claws tore through the visor of his helmet, sending sparks flying.
The tips of its claws touched his scar. A drop of blood fell.
A chill ran down Torghun's spine. He clenched his teeth and swung his curved power sword.
The claws stopped, not pressing further.
With a crack, the blade tore through the Khrave. Torghun kicked it away.
He straightened, looking at the circling Stormbirds overhead.
'Lord Nareth's power, granted to the Shadows of Order.' Torghun silently retrieved his damaged helmet, clipping the visor back into place.
He checked his tactical display. His eyes widened.
'The Third Chapter has already taken Beauty's Jewel, Grapplehook, and Tailbone. They were faster than Shiban and me.'
....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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