The Bloody Rose

VIII: Claiming the first skull

Ruby waited with baited breath as she knelt with her men behind some makeshift barricades that had been built during her attack on the base. It was damn near impossible to not feel the anticipation in the air as the singular headlamp of the approaching train grew in size. The converted White Fang knelt behind some rubble with their new leader, Deery as she used a single finger to paint runes on her blade. She had seen these runes in her minds eye after she had felt the power of Khorne's rage when she fought against the demons. Oh, what a fool she had been! The rage had practically flowed off them like a wave of pure hatred and anger.

Had she been weak for falling to the rage? Yes, she would admit it, but Deery would become stronger through Khorne, and the human, Ruby Rose is Khorne's chosen champion, Deery would follow her to the ends of the planet. With baited breath, Deery watched as the train grew ever closer and drew her pistol from its holster, slowly racking the slide back to look for a bullet in the chamber, after confirming the weapon was loaded, she deactivated the pistol's safety and slowly raised it until it rested on top of the rubble. 'This is it!' Deery thought with barely contained excitement as she failed to notice her sword dimly glowing a crimson red, 'this is the birth of the Blood Fang!'

The train exited the tunnel and began to slowly come to a stop, the snarling wolf sigil of the White Fang painted beneath the cabs window. As it rolled to a lumbering halt, the doors to the compartments opened up to reveal dozens upon dozens of White Fang troopers. Many were armed with a variety of melee weapons, such as swords and axes, whilst others were armed with assault rifles and other ranged weapons. Their weapons raised high in preparation for a battle as they began dismounting the train.

And in the centre of the White Fang formation was Adam Taurus, blade in hand and horns glowing with a mixture of golden and midnight purple light. He raised his blade slowly towards Ruby and her forces and yelled out the order. "In the name of the brothers and the White Fang, strike down these heretics and traitors! CHARGE!" With wanton abandon, the majority of the White Fang troops charged as Ruby stood and raised her scythe with a bloodthirsty smile towards the approaching hoard of troopers. Her men didn't need to hear any order, they all knew the plan, and their pistols began barking Khorne's symphony of war.

The air quickly filled with lead as the Children of Khorne fired their pistols and few rifles, with their new Blood Fang troops quickly adding their own weapons to the battle. Many White Fang soldiers fell from the gunfire, but they kept charging, practically flowing around Adam as he slowly walked towards his foe with forced calmness. Without a single warning, Adam then leapt up and towards his target, the one the Brothers had warned him about. Ruby Rose.

Ruby watched as Adam ascended into the cavernous roof with unnatural strength, a halo of blood red flowing around his skull, unseen to all but her. 'The first skull!' She thought with a bloodthirsty smile quickly taking over her face as she realised that Adam was aiming for her. Through its malign sentience, Crescent Rose brought itself up with Ruby's arm to parry Adam's downward slash. Immediately following the parry, Ruby brought Crescent Rose in a arching slash against Adam's back, the motorised blade carving a chunk out of his aura, the only sign he had felt was a low grunt of pain.

Adam quickly span on his heels and roared as he brought Wilt up, only for Ruby to use her semblance and quickly disappear from Adam's view. With frantic eyes, Adam span around, looking for his target, only for his instincts to warn him of a attack from above. At the last possible moment, Adam rolled out of the way as Ruby jammed Crescent Rose into the ground where Adam had been standing mere moments before. "Finally!" Ruby growled with a smile that was both bloodthirsty and maddened before continuing. "A proper challenge, that White Fang officer from before barely put up a good fight!"

Upon hearing those words, Adam leapt towards Ruby with a growl in his lips, 'my semblance doesn't have enough strength right now!' His mind treacherously thought as he fought the fallen Rose with his usual style and speed. Ruby had been forced to abandon Crescent Rose, as it had been jammed too deep into the ground and had drawn her chainsword from her back, its motorised teeth snarling into life. Sparks flew as the two weapons collided, Adam at least made his best attempts to defeat her with the death of a thousand cuts, whereas Ruby was going for quick, kill shots that Adam was barely able to block in time.