Gatehammer: A 30K Warhammer story. (discontinued)

Giants, Knights, and Guns

"Nothing here sir, just ashes." Furuta stated, wiping a bit of sweat off of his brow, this world's sun beating down upon him and the rest of Third Recon. He kept his rifle pressed against his chest, looking around the ruins of this place. Some sort of village from what he could guess. Then suddenly, he looked up to the sky, hearing a roar, similar to fighter jets.

Itami as well, heard it. Looking up to the sky in surprise as there had been no aircraft sent to this world just yet. He could see it, a vehicle with wings, moving as fast as any jet back home.

"Everyone, back to the vics, we gotta get back to base." Itami said, stuttering a bit at first as he backed up to the LAV, more focused on the unknown aircraft and also on not stumbling on his ass.

This was just getting weirder and weirder to him. Was he and the rest of the world basically isekai'd? First a burned out village and empty roads, now unknown aircraft moving in the skies of a new world. It just didn't make sense.

He sighed, turning around and opening the door to the LAV, crawling inside and waited for the others.

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They finally reached the gate of Italica, three of the metal giants standing at the front, along with a dozen of the town militia. Beefeater could still see the destruction these giants caused. Bodies and guts splayed out along the city's walls. Bandit bodies ripped in half.

Alongside those bodies were giant still creatures of which she had no idea how to describe. Whatever they were they were painted in various colors and symbols likely belonging to the giants.

She had only heard the destruction wrought by these giants. She knew fully well now she wouldn't want to face them.

The gate opened, revealing burning pyres and more metal giants. Many in grey like the two giants they had originally met. But others were in the colors of crimson and blood. Most of those red giants had weapons shaped much like swords or axes, a few even wielding gigantic weapons that resembled oversized hammers. Others carried short swords along what could be considered their waists, with the strange boxes in their hands.

They dismounted their horses as soon as all of them had entered the yard, surrounded by the militia who were taking their horses and the giants. Green, red, and blue glowing eyes staring at them.

The giants stared at Beefeater and her knights, before making way for them, allowing them a direct route through the streets of the city to the home of Count Formal.

Four giants followed them, three in crimson, another in grey. They moved as fast as the knights, so casually keeping up with the half running pace the knights had set. Beefeater just ignored them, but she knew her fellow knights were growing anxious. Where was the Princess? Why were none of the Princess's knights present at the gate?

They reached the walls of the home of the Clan Formal, where further more giants awaited them. There seemed to be dozens of them, all towering every single imperial citizen within the city.

When they entered the grounds, they found the wounded of the city's defenders, tended to by the women of Italica and to their surprise, a few of the giants. These giants had strange symbols upon their shoulders, what appeared to be snakes coiling up a pillar. Their bodies colored white mostly, with some parts of it either grey and black, or crimson red.

Those defenders being treated by the giants looked dead, yet it seemed as if the giants were defiling their bodies, stabbing through their flesh. Beefeater could feel Bozes tense. But this far deep? With possibly hundreds of giants awaiting outside? They'd never make it out.

The knights kept on going, finding more and more of the giants within the home proper. They stood to the side of the walls like statues, from faces that resembled helmets used by the vassal kingdoms, to snarling visages that looked like angry beasts.

They reached the doors of the hobby room, where the giants had made a path with their bodies. She could feel her knights tense further. What would they see beyond the door? She noticed the maids of the clan behind the giants, blocked by their giant bodies. What would happen to them? By all accounts the only survivors were human, so perhaps they hated demi-humans as well.

She opened the door to find a shocking sight. A giant was standing before the Princess Piña, a normal human head all the knights could see. The giant had a man's face. Flattened blonde hair upon his head, his eyes blue though cold, almost resembling the grey of his armor.

"Are these your so called, Rose Order?" It asked, it's voice more natural sounding than its helmeted counterparts. Bozes growled. They were the best of the imperial military, though he was a giant, how dare he so simply refer to the knights as such.

Princess Pina nodded, smiling softly at her knights.

"Good, because we'll need them for our next mission. The Primarch will be arriving soon."