Love Can Bloom - The Complete Edition: A Warhammer 40K Heretical Fanfiction

Chapter XI - 11

The battery was still several kilometers off, but from the forest hilltop they could see it's great barrel clawing at the horizon. It boomed once, and the edge of the world glowed for a brief moment. Seconds later, the trees around them swayed as the winded from the sound. Snow fell from what branches still held it. 

They would have to time their approach carefully. Being near an anti-orbital flak cannon during firing was inadvisable, to say the least.

The roar of the steel beast reminded Taldeer of the ocean. There was a storm in the distance. Clouds had begun gathering hours ago. It had yet to reach the shore, but the foamy chop was marching ever closer.

There was some comfort to be found in the situation. The woods would probably be safe. There may be the odd ork, broken away from the Waaagh. But the trees were thick enough to hide in, and there was nobody else at present. This much Taldeer could tell.

LIIVI twitched. He began looking around. 

"LIIVI, what are y-" Then she heard it. A whistling, shrieking, screaming sound. Quiet, but growing ever louder, closer. The wind of the Warp carried a whiff of thought. 

A mind. A Warmask. 

Eldar. Hope at last.

"I- I think it's my people." She beamed. "Maybe I can call out to them, maybe. . . " 

There was a faint buzzing now. Autocannon fire. A pop, like a distant firework. The war mask was clearer. Masks. There were many. A warlock. 

But something was amiss. One was unmasked. And that one was consumed by fear. 

"Wait. . . " 

The distant scream quickly morphed into a mighty roar. 100 meters to their left, a smoking Vampire Raider struggled to maintain altitude, pursued by three Thunderbolt Fighters. 

The Fates laughed mockingly as a great breaker met a cli face, splashing high. 

"No no no no no no no NO NO NO!" Taldeer watched in wide eyed horror as the magnificent Eldar war machine dipped slightly

further, clipping the tree tops, spraying snow and steam. Now rapidly losing speed, it sank into the deep embrace of the woods, rolling and carving a path of destruction.

Another precious work requiring ages to grow, all undone by the brutish determination of the humans.

A litany of curses ran from her lips. Tears welled in her eyes. She grimaced and fell to her knees. 

"Why?"

The Farseer stared at the path of fallen trees and sniffed. Sparks flew of the distant wreckage. Her self-pity was short lived. She stood up, shaken but resolute.

"There may be survivors. We need to save them." 

The waves tugged at her legs, beckoning her out to sea. Thunder of the storm cracked in the distance, echoing like the steam explosions of snow on the engines.

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Fire was always less impressive in the daytime. 

Madek sipped his coffee as the village burned on the horizon. They had to take a little detour on account of that mess. No matter.

"Sir," Felix piped from below. "The Navy reports that an enemy troop transport was downed in the area of operations. Eldar, sir."

"Hm." Madek sighed. "That changes things. The witch he's travelling with could use the communications systems to call for help, if they're still functioning. Worse, there may be survivors."