Secret War: Upon Blood Sands

Chapter 48

Attelus and the others emerged into a wide, well-lit plastcrete corridor. At the end of it, perhaps fifteen metres away, there were the tops of two separate large escalators that opened out into what might've been the tower's main lobby. Kalakor's bolter switched about as he prowled forwards, somehow as silent as the void despite his heavy boots.

It took Attelus a few seconds for his dazed, exhausted mind to realise that everything was utterly intact after all the time in a city of ruined buildings; it was like stepping onto a whole new world. Even the subtle rumble of the air circulation unit was in his ears.

He'd expected to emerge into more fighting, by the Emperor was he sick of fighting and couldn't imagine how tired the likes of commissar Tathe and his men were of it.

War was shit Attelus had seen this himself; it had destroyed his home, his city, his country and his world. It'd almost destroyed him. But until now, he'd seemed to have forgotten this somehow. It was funny how humans have such short memories.

'Hmm,' said Helma as she aimed her Hellgun from the hip with one hand as she and Torris carried Attelus's arms over their shoulders. 'Thought there'd be Resurrected around for sure.'

Attelus looked at Karmen. 'You can't have a look around, Karmen?'

She nodded and frowned before closing her bright blue eyes.

She did this for only a few seconds before opening them again. 'No, I'm afraid I can't. Something is keeping me from leaving my corporeal form; it's much stronger than in the city.'

'That is hardly a surprise,' said Kalakor. 'This is the epicentre, the source of the corruption of this damned world.'

Karmen shot the Space Marine with a glare so withering, Attelus couldn't help but flinch from it.

'Tell me, sergeant, how did you become such an adept sorcerer?'

'I learned how.'

'That isn't an answer.'

'It is.'

Karmen's power armoured hands opened and closed, and her jaw twitched.

'That is all the answer you will get,' said Kalakor. 'Now, will you waste more time glaring at me, or will you attempt to do something useful?'

'You will answer when we are done.'

A distorted bark of a laugh erupted from Kalakor's helmet grill. 'You may believe what you want. I cannot stop you.'

The Space Marine turned his back on her and began his advance again.

'Calm down, please, Karmen,' said Attelus as they began to follow Kalakor.

Karmen turned her glare on Attelus. +You do not actually trust him, do you? I heard you calling him a 'friend', or is that you doing your manipulations?+

Attelus shrugged. He saved my life, Karmen.

+And so did your damned father.+

Attelus tried to think of a retort but couldn't; she had a frigging good point.

+He is a sorcerer, Attelus. He is not a mere front-line officer as much as a Space Marine can be 'a mere front-line officer.' You know that sorcery is a tool of chaos.+

Yes, you're right. In all honesty, I did feel something off about him but was forgetting that; thank you for reminding me. I will keep an eye on him, but if he decides to turn against us, there's nothing I can do in my current condition. And Torris' meltagun was destroyed. And I've seen first-hand just how effective hellguns are on a Marine.