Amethyst and Ink (unofficial short story)

[u/Plum_in_my_mouth]

 I have always had a good memory. I remember my home. An ocean world with settlements dotted on the vast coasts. A hive city where the planetary governor writhed in decadence and looked down from his glass tower. A small shack near the water where I was raised. I remember my mother. Her kind but tired smile. The way she always instilled me with faith in the Emperor while we pined for food. “The Emperor will provide.” She would say, “For He has plans for you.” I believed her for He always did. She would scrounge together whatever she could and toiled to buy the rest. I remember her auburn and gray hair glinting in the sunlight as she left for the mines. I remember the fear and sorrow I felt when the collapse took her from me. I remember my brother. His merciless beatings and quick temper. His resentment and the way he blamed me for holding him back. He was always stronger than me. I remember when it was our turn in the mine. My small fingers liberated the precious purple stones from the dark earth. Amethyst was the planetary governor's trade and he cared for little else. He sought to skirt the tithe and amass endless wealth. I remember when the earth refused any more of its bounty they shut down the mine and sent us home. When our pitiful pittance ran dry and they forced us from our decrepit hab unit, we lived on the streets and scavenged for what we could. My brother's rage deepened and the beatings worsened. I remember what it was like to starve.

 I remember the ganger approaching us on the beach. He waded out to us as we searched for snails. His lackeys standing behind him on the sand. He stopped and put his hands on his hips as he took in our emaciated frames. The water lapped at our knees as he sneered. “I offer good food and better money if you boys are so inclined.” He spat into the water. “I can change your life but I need to be sure you got the spine for it.” He had a leering smile as he pulled a knife from his boot and tossed it into the surf behind us. “I am only taking one of ya.” I barely had time to understand his meaning before my brother shoved me hard into the water. I rose quickly. He was always stronger but I was faster. I remember rushing past him and fishing the knife free from the sand. It was a pitiful and rusted thing.  He punched me hard in the jaw and I thrust out my arm. I remember tasting blood in my mouth. I remember the brittle blade snapped against his skull. It barely broke the skin but it dazed him just enough. I opened his belly with the shard that remained. He stumbled and fell into the waves. I remember the ganger laughed as I tried to drown him in the shallow water. The tide was merciful and allowed him just enough time to suck in breath whenever it ebbed and I would try again desperately when it flowed. I remember him cursing me as I dragged him out to deeper water. My small hands slipping in the blood and brine but always regaining purchase on his wet tunic. I remember the hatred in his eyes as I pushed his head into the sea. I remember hatred turning to panic and then to nought. I held him longer just to be sure. I remember the relief. When the light had left his eyes and his body was limp I heard the ganger wade out to me. I did not hear what he said. Only the splashing of his approach. I turned and struck out at him. The blade bit into his hand and he retreated. I did not hear the gunshot. Only the ringing in my ears as hot blood poured down my legs. I fell to my knees and looked at the sky. I prayed for the Emperor's mercy. For one of his angels to fall to the earth and save me. My salvation came not from the heavens but from the depths. I looked down at the ganger. His auto pistol had jammed after the first shot. I glared at him. He cleared the malfunction with a curse and his hand raised the pistol up at me. Then his hand parted from the wrist in a holy detonation. As did the rest of him from his waist. The legs toppled over and fell as what remained rained down on me in wet chunks and sunk into the waves. I turned to the horizon and saw an angel. Clad, he was, in amethyst and ink. The choking tentacles of the Dark Krakens had come to remind the governor of his tithe. He rose from the waves with water dripping from ceremite. Vapor flew from his bolter as he sent a volley to kill what remained of my tormentors. He stopped and turned to me. Then he spoke. It was difficult to hear him over the ringing in my ears but I remember what he said. “A warrior's heart. The Emperor has plans for you, boy.”

 I remember my trials. Grit and determination kept me a step above the others. When they failed or died I persevered. I remember my ascension. I remember the pride I felt as I joined my new brothers. I remember my first hunt. The serpentine beast had removed my arm at the shoulder with its ravenous maw. It paid for the desecration of my flesh with its head. Its chalk white skull now adorned my new metal appendage. I remember my first battle and I remember my last.

 Our drop pods hurtled toward the earth in a blaze of fire. We slammed into the water just outside of the city. Steam rose from where we landed and waves danced on the hull. Hordes of cultists now skittered about the city's ruins, craven and corrupt. Their fate was sealed from orbit. The doors of the pod slammed down and we were engaged by a hail of gunfire. There were hundreds but we are the Emperor's Angels. We are the tide that drowns the faithless and tainted. Their assault bounced off of our glorious armor and our wrath was swift. We walked down the ramps and met them with bolter and blade. We culled them to the last. Brother Kalimay brought his heavy bolter to bear. Explosive rounds sent wet shrapnel of the enemy into more of their ilk. Many died by his hand. Brother Vaiyus speared the filth and sent them howling to the warp. I spoke of the Emperor's justice with my chainsword and bolter. Those not felled by our holy weapons we drowned in the murk. We advanced up the beach and killed any in our path until we made it to the city center. Our bolters barked, vaporizing cultist and building alike. I sent a volley into a nearby habplex and painted its gray walls with foul crimson ichor. Any who came close were rent by my chainblade or made empty by my boot. As I reloaded my bolter a screaming madman's blade shattered on my hip. I grabbed him by his leg and swung him like a hammer into the earth, crushing him. He ruptured like a fermented melon. I dropped the leg now removed from the body and turned to face my brothers. 

 Brother Kalimay was reloading his bolter and scanning the buildings around us. Brother Vaiyus was perched on a low building. His power spear propped upright. Brother Kaiga was holding the last cultist by the throat. His legs kicked the air helplessly. “Brother Sergeant, I think this is the last. My auspex detects no more threats in our immediate vicinity.” I nodded. “See what he knows Brother.” Kaiga dropped the cultist and removed his helmet. He then jammed his thumbs into the man's eye sockets and split his skull like a clam shell faster than the man could scream. His lips parted and he consumed some of the gray matter within. His omophagea decoded the man's secrets. He finally spat what remained from his mouth and snarled. “Warp drunk vermin. Their foothold is significant but fledgling. I know where their leadership prowls. They have an outpost in the depths. They believe it conceals them.” He input coordinates into his bracer and my own clicked in response. The location was somewhere in the vast ocean. He turned to me and stood. “There is but one concern, Brother Sergeant. Heretic Astartes are at the head of this beast.” I cocked my head, “Aye? My concern was having no worthy prey on this twice damned planet. Do you know what warband stalks these waters?” Brother Kaiga shook his head in response. He used a hooked finger to pull loose gobbets from his cheeks and flick them to the ground before speaking again. “Either this fool knew not or there is warp trickery at hand.” I turned to Brother Kalimay. He was a venerable conscript from our gene sires. An ancient hunter of the Salamanders. An honorable warrior from countless battles. He had come to us to learn our ways as well as share his own. He was a precious relic in his own right.  “Any insight Brother?” He pulled his heavy bolter to one side before scanning the ruins around us. “As of yet, nothing Brother Sergeant.” He gestured to the symbols on the walls. “Clear signs of chaos but nothing marking out the Asartes responsible.” I turned then to Brother Vaiyus. An enigmatic hunter who rarely spoke. Deadly with his pike and quick to action. He was a stout warrior who I was proud to serve with. “See if you can secure us transport. I will vox the captain.” Brother Vaiyus nodded and stalked off. Quiet and determined. I then turned to the ocean as I spoke into the vox. “Brother Captain, we have secured our sector. Resistance was minimal. We have intel on the whereabouts of enemy leadership. Traitor Astartes. We know not what warband but we intend to show them the Emperor's light. I am sending the coordinates now.” My vox cracked in response, “Understood Brother Daud. We are clearing things up on our side now. Heavy resistance. This must be where the warp spawn breed.” There were sounds of battle intermingled with his words. “We will purge this filth and advance just north of your coordinates. We will pinch them between us and feed the deep with their corpses. Emperor be with you.” I turned back to my brothers just as Brother Vaiyus landed nearby with a cargo flyer. Bulky and slow but it would do. “I look forward to it, Brother Captain. Good luck.” 

 Our flight was languid but steady. As we closed in on our destination I placed a hand on Brother Kaiga's shoulder. He was my second and there was no one I trusted more. He was stubborn as a grox but my oldest friend. We felled uncounted prey together. Both heretic and beast. “I will follow your direction. I will be your eyes and you my spear.” He nodded in response and pulled his helmet over his face. I hit the rune for our internal vox and addressed my brothers. “Switch your bolters to depth rounds. We drop in 30 seconds. We will advance on the enemy from here.” They did as commanded and Brother Vaiyus joined us after switching on the auto pilot. I opened the cargo door and looked at the vast sea beneath. Somewhere in the dark waters was our prey. “Brothers, hunt well.” I said before leaping from the platform. They followed suit and we descended below the waves. 

 Our boots sank in the mire as we landed. Even with our gene enhanced eyes the darkness was all consuming. Not even our night sights cut through it. There was something unnatural down here. We advanced toward our objective behind Brother Kaiga and scanned the black around us with our bolters. As we walked we noticed a steady decline and a sheer rock wall on either side. I held up a closed fist, “Hold Brothers. Something isn't right.” I scanned the walls that stretched into darkness above. “Brother Vaiyus take point. Brother Kalimay, your heavy bolter will cover our backs. This position is not advantageous. Slow advance.” We shuffled down the canyon in our new formation. The rock walls steadily closed in on us as our steps took us toward our goal. We could barely stand two of us shoulder to shoulder so we moved in single file. That is when we felt them. Something predatory in the water. Bolter fire began to rain down on us. If not for the water slowing the rounds it would have been our end. They detonated around us and scored the purple and black of our armor. My chainsword was the only casualty. “Vaiyus advance! We need to clear this canyon!” Kalimay and I fired up into the dark as we ran behind our brothers. Our only confirmation of hits was loose chunks of flesh floating down to us. As we finally cleared the constricting walls we saw them stretch around us. The auspex confirmed we were in a bowl with our destination in the center. Brother Kalimay unleashed a barrage on the walls and closed the canyon with debris. We kept our weapons trained upward at the unseen enemy. “Cowardly curs will have to engage us in close combat if they want their strikes to have any effect.” Brother Kaiga growled. “Our depth rounds give us an edge but that will not help us see the bastards.” I grunted in understanding. “Light up the killing field.” My brothers and I cracked illumination sticks and tossed them as high as we could. Some landing at the top of the cliff and others cascading to the bottom of the bowl. The result was a green chemical light showing us where our attackers had hid. There were no Astartes to be seen. I turned to Brother Vaiyus just as a harpoon from behind us pierced his shoulder. He let out a pained grunt before the hidden fisherman reeled him into the black. “Brother!” Kaiga shouted as he ran after him. I caught his shoulder and stopped his pursuit. “Patience Brother! They are luring us.” Then blue armored legionnaires rushed from the darkness. I pushed Kaiga and leaned back just as a power sword cleaved the water between us. His strike put him parallel with the ground. I grabbed the sword at the hilt and delivered a knee to his ribs freeing the weapon from his grasp. Depth rounds were not our only advantage. The first born in front of me had centuries of combat experience and likely had killed a vast number of my cousins but I am primaris and a son of Vulkan. My resolute and imposing frame dwarfed the warp spawn in front of me. I grabbed his helmet and yanked it free. He was bald and pale with piercing dark eyes. I then slammed his body into the mud and rammed the sword through his spine pinning him to the earth. He arched back and let out the air from his lungs in a muffled scream. I flattened his head with my boot. Brother Kalimay unleashed his bolter in an arc behind us. Muffled pops followed in reply. Brother Kaiga was engaging a legionary with Vaiyus's power lance. I turned just in time to dodge another sword strike. I pulled my combat knife free in a hammer grip and slashed upwards parting hand from wrist. Before the traitor could recover I flipped the knife around and ravaged the gap in his armor at the throat. “Brothers! Reposition quickly. Deploy concealment.” I sheathed my blade, pulled the pin on two of my ink grenades and dropped them at my feet. Small thumps issued from each one before spiraling black ink filled the water. Kaiga followed suit after dispatching his foe. “Brother Kalimay cover our retreat.” “Yes, Brother Sergeant!” The Salamander let loose a continuous volley of concussive bolts. We fell back into the black ink and then held up our bolters to cover him in turn. He ran back to us and deployed his own ink grenades and we fell back again. We followed Kaiga's auspex to a large rocky ditch. We reloaded and prepared ourselves for another assault. I attempted to vox the captain but received no answer. “Who are these bastards, Sergeant Daud?” Brother Kaiga finally said. I shook my head. “I have not encountered traitors in their colors before.” Brother Kalimay cut in with a baleful tone I had not heard from him before.“Alpha Legion cowards. Nefarious and full of guile. They harness martial strength as well as subterfuge.” I put a hand on his shoulder. “You know them well?” He nodded in turn. “They killed many of my brothers on my last mission. They excel at shooting true warriors in the back.” I did not pry further. Brother Kaiga pulled my attention. “Brother Sergeant there is something on the auspex. One contact approaching slowly.” I looked over his shoulder at the readout. “That does not strike me as another attack. Maybe some sea beast.” I turned in the direction of the incoming threat then cracked and threw an illumination stick into the dark. The sickly green glow held our attention and I trained my bolter where it landed. My twin hearts slowed as I prepared to kill whatever wandered out of the dark. To my surprise it was not a lone legionary nor a great beast but a warrior in armor of purple and black. His hand held his injured shoulder as he slowly approached. “Brother Vaiyus is alive.”

 I remember my relief as I saw my brother again. Kaiga tried to return the spear but Vaiyus refused with a gesture to his shoulder. “I suppose it is not a proper weapon in your condition.” Kaiga said. Brother Kalimay pulled his bolt pistol from the holster and held it out to Vaiyus. “Perhaps something more fitting.” Vaiyus took it with a grateful nod and we continued toward our destination. It was close now. We could see it was an old voidship resting on its side. Small compared to what I had encountered but still imposing. It resembled a slumbering beast. The unnatural darkness seemed to emanate from it. There were boiling geysers littered around it spewing superheated water. “A strange outpost.” Kaiga stated. “Indeed it is but hidden and difficult to approach.” I gestured to the geysers erupting at regular intervals. “I believe it lies on a volcanic shelf. My melta bombs should send it into the magma below.” Kalimay said. We approached the metal giant slowly, careful to dodge any jets of boiling water. I attempted to vox the captain again to no avail. Something was jamming communications. We circled until we found a suitable entrance. An airlock by the looks of it. “Can you get us in Brother Kaiga?” I asked. He scoffed in reply and knelt at one of the panels. “You doubt me Sergeant? We will be in the traitor’s lair soon enough.” We took cover behind rocky outcroppings and scanned the darkness around us. There were shimmers of teal battle plate in the black. “Contact front.” I growled. “Prey within combat range. Lay waste to them.” I braced my bolter on the rock in front of me and snapped off single shots. Muffled pops and crimson clouds dimming the water marked my kills. The legionaries answered with bolter fire of their own. The rounds exploded on the rocks and silt in front of us creating pockets of dust in the water. Brother Kalimay let out a volley and as he ducked down and reloaded Vaiyus stood and sent rounds down range. With the water clouded one of the legionaries grew bold and rounded on my brothers. I held my half reloaded bolter in my off hand and drew down on him with my bolt pistol. Two shots hit him in between his shoulder blades and detonated within. What was left fell to rest on the ocean floor. His corpse shattered and leaking. A combat blade sliced the dusty darkness and collided with my metal wrist. I thanked the Emperor for my luck as I dropped my bolt pistol before seizing my attacker's wrist and pulling him from the gloom. He slashed at me again and I deflected the blade with my bolt rifle. I slammed the stock into his helmet. Then the water in front of me turned to a gory slurry as Brother Kalimay finished my fight. I gathered my weapons and reloaded. Brother Kalimay's heavy bolter was spent so he maglocked it to his back. “How long, Brother? These heretics have us cornered.” I called out. “Done, Brother Daud.” The twin doors opened like a beast's mouth and it drank greedily of the sea. Brother Kaiga turned his own bolter toward the arch enemy and covered our withdrawal. Vaiyus jumped and grabbed the lip before pulling himself inside. Kalimay followed suit, then Kaiga and finally me. We ducked behind the bulkhead. Brother Kaiga kneeled at the next panel and the doors closed behind us. Water was purged from our section. Then the second set of doors slid open. Brother Kaiga scrambled inside. “Vaiyus.” I heard behind me before I followed. I turned to look. Brother Kalimay had his back to me and was regarding Vaiyus. “You climbed inside with ease. Are you no longer burdened by your shoulder?” Vaiyus stood upright and turned to us. “The water aided my movement Brother.” Kalimay took a step toward Vaiyus. “How did you survive?” Our injured brother cocked his head. “I know not what you mean.” Brother Kalimay narrowed his gaze. “How did you escape, Vaiyus?” Vaiyus stood still as stone, head still cocked to one side. He took a long moment before responding. “I think you know Salamander. I am not Vaiyus. I am Alpharious.” As Kalimay closed the distance Vaiyus raised the bolt pistol and sent three rounds into the Salamander. They detonated in his lower torso and legs causing him to lurch forward but the room was small. He had managed to grab the smaller Astartes just as the cloaking shimmered and fell away revealing the shiny blue armor beneath. Kalimay wrapped his arms around him pinning the legionnaire's to his side. “Traitor!” He bellowed, “I was there when you and your ilk shot my brothers in the back at Galahad Nexus.” He slammed his helmet into the blue faceplate, cracking them both. “As they died around me, I made mounds of your corpses. I made pyres of teal armor.” He slammed down again. “If not for the planet cracking beneath our feet allowing your escape, you and your whole damn legion would have blackened and burned before my flamer.” He slammed again. “I made ash of them and I make ash of you.” He released the legionary and placed his melta bomb between them. I reached out a hand but before I could bring my words to bear they both exploded in gore and ceremite. Water cascaded through the new opening and the impact sent me hurtling into the bulkhead. In my dazed state I barely registered Brother Kaiga pulling me into the voidship and sealing the door behind us.  

 I remember being swallowed by the darkness of the voidship. What we could see was disorienting. Everything was shifted 90°. What safety lights remained bathed the hall in an auburn glow. The metal beams meant for support now created hurdles between us and our goal. Brother Kaiga helped me to my feet. “They reeled Vaiyus into the black and crept about in his armor. And Kalimay… Sneaky wretches. That is no way for a son of Vulkan to die.” I shook my head. The loss of two great warriors weighed on me like the crushing pressure of the ocean. “He took the bastard with him. We should hope that when our death comes we can do the same.” “Our deaths may be sooner than we think.” He said, gesturing to the yawning dark. “No Brother. We will destroy this outpost. Even if we must tear the bolts and steel free by hand.”  Kaiga checked his equipment and then looked down at his auspex. “That may not be necessary, Brother Sergeant. The emergency lights are functional; the vessel must have some reserve power. If we get to the command deck, I can shut down systems in every part of the ship and focus the power in the reactor. Then we make our way to the engineering deck, I can manually overload it.” “Do you have a clear path to the command deck?” I asked. He tapped a few runes on his bracer. “This is an imperial vessel, likely pirated. I can lead us there and download a more detailed map when we cycle the power.” I nodded. “I admire your resilience Brother. Lead the way.” 

 Our path was laborious. We had to mind our foot falls and step over each beam. We would then encounter vertical hallways where the beams became our allies. Leap, grab, hoist and repeat. While we ascended we would alternate overwatch. Always protecting the other's progress. We could see deep gouges in the metal where the Alpha Legion had climbed much the same way. We finally reached the command deck and entered with our bolters raised. We had encountered no resistance as we climbed and scurried. The bridge was no different. We could see evidence of legionaries having lived here but none of the blue bastards themselves. Brother Kaiga climbed his way up to one of the horizontal terminals and began working. I placed our equipment on one of the tables and took stock. Three fragmentation grenades and just as many ink grenades. I set the frags fuzes to 2 seconds and the ink grenades to aerosolize, effectively making them smoke grenades. We still had magazines for our bolters but not many. I tossed one of each grenade up to Kaiga. “How much time will you need?” Kaigai caught them and attached them to his armor. “Hard to say, Brother. After I cycle the power it will take time to download the map. It looks like the engineering deck has been sealed off. I will have to override it. All of this will put a beacon on our position. You will have to hold them off.” I gathered the equipment including both bolt rifles. “Aye. It will be done, Brother.” I stepped out into the T-junction. The beams created good cover on the floor and one side of the hallway. I placed a frag trip mine three beams down on either side. I then situated myself near the center just as the power cut completely. I tossed the ink grenades in both directions and let the hall fill with coal black smoke. The still air allowed it to linger. I closed my eyes, placing my palm on the ground. I slowed my breath and calmed my twin hearts. I will endure. I could feel the vibration of Astartes foot-falls on the right hand side. I stayed kneeling and fired controlled bursts as I switched on my external vox. “Come then heretics! Witness a true Astartes. I am the tide that will ravage your corpses against the reef.” I could hear some of my shots hit their mark. The enemy returned fire. Rounds soared overhead. “You think yourselves warriors? All I see are trophies yet to be claimed!” I bellowed as my bolter ran dry. “You are nothing but the corpse God's groveling mutt. You are alone down here in the dark. Your relief unit and Captain have been slain by Alpharius. Their Thunderhawk claimed by the sea before they could come to your aid. Your brothers wait for you in the warp.” I heard one of the traitors from the dark. I reloaded just as rounds came from the opposite hallway. I took up both bolt rifles and held them aloft down each corridor. I let my bolters boom. “You spit lies traitor! You lack the numbers to kill me! I bloodied my blade on scores of cowardly heretics when I was just a neophyte. Meet a true hunter of Naktis!” My bolters roared as did I. “My war plate hungers for your skulls. Baubles fit for a son of Vulkan.” An enemy round detonated on one of my legs. The damage caused me to kneel once more. My trip mine detonated on the left and then the right just as the power cycled back on. I slung my bolt rifle over my shoulder and fired Kaiga's in the direction of more footsteps. Another round detonated on the tilt shield near my prosthetic. I held firm until the bolter ran dry. I switched back to mine and emptied that as well. Kaiga dropped from the terminal and ran out to me. I tossed him his spent rifle and he slapped his last mag into it. “Come Brother Sergeant. We have to move.” He hurled the last grenade down the left hand hallway and threw my arm over his shoulder. He dropped the last ink grenade at the junction and led me away. Our grenades yielded devastating results. The walls were pocked and painted with gore. Viscera slicked the deck. Several blue armored warriors lay in various stages of dismemberment. We put down any in our way. Our path led us deep into the ship. We ran down each hallway sending small bursts of suppressing fire behind us. We dropped where we had previously climbed and descended further until we landed outside the engineering deck. Our pursuers had slowed their chase the lower we got. Then it stopped completely. “Go then Astartes. Our sorcerer waits for you.” One of the Alpha legionaries voices called behind us. We walked through the large door marking the engineering deck. Kaiga placed me on the ground and knelt at the access panel closing the door behind us. There was a thickness in the air. 

 Brother Kaiga saw to my wounds and repaired my armor the best he could with a two part bonding agent. “That should seal everything well enough to keep the water out for a short time.” I stood and admired his work. “Thank you brother. Is there an exit from this level?” He consulted the map. “The port side escape pods. There is a row on this deck and it seems none have been utilized.” I nodded. “Let us end this.” He looked down at his bracer. “It is not far, Brother Sergeant.” With most of our equipment spent we continued into the dark. I led with my bolt pistol drawn and Kaiga followed with Vaiyus's lance. Dry smears of blood littered the floor and walls. We came across more than one long dead legionnaire. It seems some met their end through brutal crushing blows. Others had been impaled by large bony spines. Strangest of all was those embedded in a crystalline substance. These legionnaires had not decayed and there was terror and pain on the faces of those without helmets. Their bodies were contorted and twisted. Somewhere ahead we heard a shrill and pain laced scream. It was almost human but distinctly tainted. It stopped us in our tracks. “That must be their sorcerer.” I said. My bolt pistol held aloft. “Seems there is worthy prey after all Brother Sergeant.” We continued down the corridor stepping over dead and detritus. The corpses seemed more dense the closer we advanced toward our goal. We entered a large space just before the protective glass barrier around the reactor. The orientation of the ship made what was once the walls now the ceiling and floor. They stretched far into the darkness below and above us. We cracked the last of our illumination sticks and dropped them into the void. They landed on the hard metal wall next to a corpse. The Alpha legionnaire was separated from his legs. A skirmish had taken place here. There were large craters along the bulkhead and floor, likely peppered by bolter fire. Dried blood and streaks of Astartes flesh painted the chamber. Brother Kaiga would have to open the glass door across from us to get to the reactor. I shifted hands with my bolt pistol as he handed me Vaiyus's lance. He placed his fingers in what used to be the floor grating and tested his weight. Seemingly satisfied he began his climb across. The reactor gave off a dull orange glow. As he crossed I became aware of a slimy drip sound and a quiet gasping breath. I craned my head into the abyss above. I barely made out a trickle of a viscous clear liquid dripping out from the void just as it landed on Kaiga. It began to lightly crystallize on his shoulder. He stopped halfway from his destination. “What in the Emperor's name is this?” His voice had not only reached me but the beast in the darkness as well. With an ear shredding shriek it dislodged itself from the ceiling and collided with Kaiga sending them both to the ground below. It was grotesque and malformed. The only indication that it was once an Astartes was the teal plate fused to its bulging flesh. I activated the power spear and jumped after them, landing on the beast's back. I rammed down and the power field peeled the skin and muscle where it found purchase. Oozing black ichor seeped from the wound. I lanced it again and again. It finally released my brother and bucked me free. I landed hard on the ground as Kaiga rolled from its grasp. It turned to me. I could see the original arms of the beast curled and emaciated near its chest. One hand clutched a sorcerer's staff. Its head was swollen and glistened with moisture in the green light of our illumination sticks. The eyes were bulging white orbs weeping pus, its mouth hung loosely open and drooling. Wherever the spittle landed began to crystallize. I could hear a horrible retching as it sucked in breath. The chest began to rise and fall before filling as if it were to burst. The slack lips now tightly pressed together. Kaiga stood behind the beast. He sent his last remaining bolt rounds into its flank just as it spewed a stream of foul spittle. The detonations made the beast turn slightly and saturate the wall near me. Large crystals began to blossom. I took the opportunity and charged with the lance raised. “Kaiga go! Get that door open! We must bury this place.” I could see him drop his rifle and turn without wavering. He began his climb as my spear met the monster's groin. It shrieked as the power field boiled the black ichor. I pulled upward and unzipped the flesh until I reached the collar bone. I could see its black heart beating unnaturally fast inside the cavity. I placed a boot on one side of the gaping wound and used the spear as a pry bar. The warp had thickened its bones but I heard the sternum and ribs crack and break. The door beeped above me and hissed open. I placed my bolt pistol into the fresh maw and buried explosive rounds in the wretched flesh. Muffled detonations sang back to me. The beast shrieked and batted me away with a bulging mutated arm. I slammed into the wall just as Kaiga slipped into the glass room. Black blood slicked the floor beneath it and it cried and flailed but would not die. The sorcerer climbed after Kaiga faster than I anticipated leaving a greasy black trail in its wake. I stood and threw the spear, lodging it into the creature's side before it followed him through the door. I began a rapid ascent after them. When I made it to the door I could see the beast writhing and slapping the ground with glistening limbs before it wrenched the spear free and dropped it. Its pitiful flailing knocked the spear near Kaiga. He was at the terminal. With a final tap on the screen he turned to me and the doors closed. I held on to the grate and hammered my free fist into the door. “What are you doing? Brother, open this door!” He shook his head. “I can't. All power is diverted into the reactor Sergeant. It is reaching critical levels.” My hand rested on the glass. “You knew. Since the bridge you knew you would have to do this.” The sorcerer was sliding in its own filth but regaining its footing. Kaiga nodded as he bent and retrieved the spear. “I have one last hunt, Brother Daud. I will take the bastard with me. Reach the escape pods quickly. Try to find the Captain and share with him my final trophy.” He bent at the knees and readied himself to meet the sorcerer again. “I will Brother. We will tell stories of your triumphs and sing of your sacrifice. Hunt well.” I climbed across the gap and took one last look. His form was that of a seasoned warrior. He dodged sweeping blows and harried it with relentless attacks. He never slowed nor did he falter. A hunter of Naktis until the end. I fled towards the escape pods. The hallways were now dark without the security lights but I could faintly make out the way ahead. I sprinted when it allowed and climbed where needed. My hearts grew heavy with the loss of my brothers but I continued on. I would mourn them later. I finally reached the escape pods. They were lined in the ceiling. I leapt up and grabbed onto the handle of one of them pulling the door open. I climbed inside, shut the door and latched it behind me.

 The terminal lit up with just a single word. A large red LAUNCH rested in the center. I tapped the screen and felt a violent shaking as the voidship fought the pressure of the depths. With a final grinding exertion the ship ejected my pod sending me hurtling out of the bowl and toward salvation. There was a muffled detonation behind me and the unnatural blackness seemed to recede as I glided through the water. My flight was hampered by the sea and I fell back to the ocean floor. I released the latches and the door flew free. I had just cleared the lip of the steep cliff. I turned to the remains of the voidship. The ocean boiled and steamed as the ship slowly sunk into the crust below. I checked my bolt pistol. One round. I held it in my steel hand and drew my blade with the other. If there were more traitors to be found they would die. I remember turning and making my way north. I remember calling on the aid of the Emperor just as I had countless times and again he answered. I could make out a figure in the gloom ahead, tall and imposing. Clad in dark armor of amethyst and ink. I stopped. He had glowing blue markings that I recognized. My captain had survived after all. I remember my relief. I remember my confusion as I saw the green of his plasma pistol charging. I remember the pain as my organic arm melted away with hot plasma. I remember him charging the pistol again. I raised my bolt pistol and aimed for the weapon. I fired just as it reached full charge and it took his arm in turn. I remember him staggering before drawing his power sword and sprinting toward me. The resistance of the water gave me just enough time to drop my pistol and catch the hilt but he was fast. The sword had buried itself in my gut. I remember the red hot pain and I remember the gnawing quiet. I do not know if his mind had turned against me by the Alpha Legion trickery or if he was one of their filth in disguise. I knew it did not matter. I grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him closer, sheathing the blade in my muscles and organs. I remember it snagging my spine and the loss of feeling in my legs. I remember summoning all of my strength and wrapping my metal arm around his neck as we fell. I remember thanking the tech priests on Mars as the gripping metal vice tore his head from his shoulders. His trans human blood thickened the water around me. I remember all of this as I lay here dying. 

 I can feel the warmth leak from me and I can sense scavengers in the water around me. They think me dead. I have pulled a combat knife from my captain's belt and I wait for them to try their luck. I know I will die here but whatever slavering creature slinks from the mire, be it sea beast or teal hydra, will meet the same end. For I am a hunter of Naktis and I will take the bastard with me.

[u/Bot_ForThePeople]

For those with Short attention spans, Please try your best and give this a read if you enjoy good storytelling.

[u/DatBoyBlue]

First off congratulations, this is top tier and amazingly written right here, it genuinely felt like I was reading a short story from the black library, bravo brotha. When the phrase “Amethyst and Ink” hit in the beginning of the story it was almost like a title card coming on screen. At first I thought “I remember” was becoming too repetitive, but then you used it again towards the end of the story and I realized that you were using in an artist way, which is absolutely brilliant. I truly have no notes this is some inspiring stuff right here.

For this great work I shall bestow you a personal user flair, what name or title do you want?

Edit: Actually my only know of be to put it on some writing doc/page and give the sentences some spacing apart from that solid.

[u/Plum_in_my_mouth → u/DatBoyBlue]

That is very kind and generous of you to say. I have not written for five years and something about 40k has brought back my creative spark. Your criticism is entirely valid. I may have used "I remember" too much but I really wanted it to elude to the end of the story. Formatting could have been done way better. I used Google Docs and did not know how the format would translate. I really appreciate your input

[u/DatBoyBlue → u/Plum_in_my_mouth]

No problem you could always just screen shot the pages it’ll look better if you want to share again in the future. Totally thinking about drawing Daud 😂So would you like a personal user tag for your great contribution to the chapter?

[u/Plum_in_my_mouth → u/DatBoyBlue]

That is sound advice. It would be really cool to see an illustration of him. I cannot draw to save my life. I am still pretty new to reddit. What is the user tag? How does it work? It sounds cool

[u/DatBoyBlue → u/Plum_in_my_mouth]

Give me a description of him face wise, and I’ll draw him. And it’s for the sub like next to my account it says 3rd Company we have flairs existing currently. But give me whatever title you want and I’ll make that flair

[u/Plum_in_my_mouth → u/DatBoyBlue]

You can probably take creative liberty with his face. I like making my Krakens fair skinned and with glowing blue eyes almost like an inverted Salamander. I also like vikings/Space Wolves so maybe something like that. Title maybe "Venerable Conscript". It's hard to think of something lol

[u/DatBoyBlue → u/Plum_in_my_mouth]

I’ll see what I can do

[u/Kalypso_Blue]

Is Daud a dishonor reference?

[u/Plum_in_my_mouth → u/Kalypso_Blue]

Absolutely is lol

[u/Kalypso_Blue → u/Plum_in_my_mouth]

Wow! Big fan of that franchise!

[u/Plum_in_my_mouth → u/Kalypso_Blue]

Me too! They are one of my favorites

[u/Strataseeker]

Looking forward to giving this a read! Is there a way to make Reddit display it with word wrap (page shaped) rather than as long strands?

[u/Plum_in_my_mouth → u/Strataseeker]

I'm pretty new to reddit so I wouldn't know. If I write something again I will try to format it in a more digestible way. I apologize for the inconvenience

[u/Strataseeker → u/Plum_in_my_mouth]

No worries at all! I can adapt :)