They turned, twisted in the air, whirled about like dancers pirouetting the dance of murder over each other. Solid rock hurtled by at dizzying speed as Logan gained the upper hand; he straddled Hess, arched back and ripped three weeping gouges in the traitor's chest.
The two men crashed into the ground in a mist of corrupted blood. The impact yanked them apart; scrambling to shaky feet, Logan managed a single blink before purple energy punched him in the gut - warp fire scorched away layers of flak armour and makeshift cloth, knocking him flat into the igneous stone.
"You will not take her from me!" Jeremy shouted, firing another blast of lightning from his hand.
Logan scrambled to his feet and dodged the next blast of bio-lightning. He hurled himself behind a piece of fallen rubble. The sorcerer grinned wickedly as he approached.
"Hiding will not help you, Logan!"
Two grey cylinders clattered to the ground and rolled to his feet. His brain couldn't recognize them for a moment, but when it did, he had only enough time left to open his mouth.
"Oh-"
They detonated, filling the sweltering cavern with phosphorescent light and burning his retinas furiously.
By the time Hess' eyesight returned, the frenzied rogue trader was already upon him. Adamantium-laced claws tore through defiled armour and ripped three massive gashes into his torso.
He clutched at his gaping wounds and watched his lifeblood drain away onto the uncaring cave-stone - backed into a corner, he was open, helpless, out of choices. His eyes darted around the cavern, looking for something, anything that could help turn the battle in his favor.
"There's still time." Sheathing his claws, Logan extended an open palm. "You can still come back. Please."
The lie rang through the air, cold and wet within the stifling heat of magma.
"It's too late for me, old friend," Jeremy coughed, "I'm sorry, Logan. But what I've become... and the things that I've done... No, I can't be saved."
Logan barely managed to fling himself out of the way of another jet of black flame, his left shoulder registering significant structural damage -
"Not by you."
"Fine," Logan snarled, "Have it your way."
They hurled themselves at each other, their fists crashing out a shockwave that shook the dust from the ancient walls.
*****************
Korramyn breathed. Las-beams, hot and piercing, sliced past him.
He squeezed the trigger.
Like a footstep of a great beast, his rifle gave a muffled bark that parted the cacophony echoing about the cavernous halls: the bullet, as long as a man's hand from finger-tip to wrist, left it at three point five times the speed of sound and entered a chest, puncturing lungs, destroying hearts with the incredible force of its passing, shattering bones into crumbs of calcite with its concussive shock - it killed three cultists before blinding another by exploding a stalagmite.
One shot. The filth began screaming and scurrying into cover, allowing him some respite. Quick, think! The autocannon was almost ready; where in the hell was Emerson? There were so many places they could have stashed her -
The large weapon whined and spat explosive shells the size of bricks, tracers lighting up the darkness of the cavern and flashing bright against the glowing magma.
*****************
They exchanged blow for blow, each one burning more flesh, drawing more blood, like the ancients who dueled in cages for love, duty, honor, vengeance. Some terrible sorcery protected Hess' hands from being torn to ribbons, crashing into Logan's claws with ringing shrieks, flinging balls of warp fire and electricity and forcing the Trader to duck intermittently. One had size, stamina and unbridled rage behind him; the other, foul magicks and the turbulent whims of the Immaterium. As though roaring in answer, the planet responded in kind. Logan and Hess collided, trying to obtain the upper hand - a pillar of screaming lava ascended behind them, two shadows flanked by vengeful lava, Arkangel shrieking in fury at friendships forever broken.
