On the Run - A Warhammer 40k Fanfiction

Part IV - Cat n' Mouse

While I and 1106 were crawling inside the vent, I had the crappy situation of smelling the sewer-water splashed boots of his, near my face. I felt compelled to only breathe with my mouth in that cramped vent. As we were crawling through the vents like vermin, it seemed 1106 had the mood to bring up some small-talk.

"For a xeno, you Eldar are awfully human-like. Minus the ears and attire you could have likely fooled me into believing you were a human."

1106 made a soft snicker sound, I was a bit less amused.

– "That similarity is only on the exterior, 1106. Our anatomy are not the same."

I said with a brief huff, as the Aeldari were far superior to mon-keigh. Our minds were greater in power and I heard the human heart beats half as fast as one of my kin. Hmph!

"Why do you call us ¨mon-keigh¨, xeno?"

– "The Mon-keigh were an ancient race that was exterminated by the millennia before our first contact with . A sub-intelligent race of cannibals that we call your kind, 1106. We use it for any species that are inferior to the Aeldari, and in need of extermination."

"How charming. Is how the Imperium sees you, xeno."

I could hear the sarcasm from his tone when he responded, I felt the frown on his face. Not that I could blame him, being told that is likely not the most impeccable thing to be described as, no doubt the truth in my opinion however.

But as we came closer I could feel in the vents as if something was crawling behind us, yet thankfully some distance away. It did not sound very heavy but I was not taking any chances.

– "We will want to go a bit faster. I think there's something crawling behind us, 1106."

1106 did pick up some speed after a few moments.

"I felt it too, Eldar. But we're near the assembly line from here. Just a bit further! God-Emperor preserve us."

The noises that were behind us increased, and as I looked back there was a small robotic scarab-like entity. It had five small glowing eyes on the face of its head, looking at me silently. I suspect it may be a scout or something else. But what else could be chasing us? The one prior, the Flayed One one that had blades for fingers could not possibly manoeuvre through these vents. What else might be out there? The thought made my stomach drop it felt like, and I again pushed 1106 ahead on the bottom of his boots forward, now giving my gloves a gross sewage smell. But I'd rather have that than be dead right now, and the fear I had fueled my energy to get out.

As I took another look back, there were more than one now. But four, as they slowly moved after me and 1106 through the ventilation system. I gasped quietly to myself and continued quickly to crawl in the vents, the sounds of us all in there were hard to distinguish now with all the movement. I would close my eyes, only to open them up later as we went, as I heard 1106 mutter.

"Almost there..! Come on!"

1106 cried out as he was finally beginning to try and undo the vent cover that was in front of him. Meanwhile I, behind him, watched as the small necron scarabs crawled towards us. But something bigger was approaching, something that should not be able to fit in there as the heavy clanging and ear pinching noises were heard from it.

And there it was, a large caterpillar-like necron, metallic, darkly coloured and menacing as it seemed to have razor sharp pincers by its mouth area, and five green soulless eyes like the other necrons. It was visible at the far back of the vents and crawled creepily towards me in an insect-like fashion which made me gulp instantly and grow my anxiety.