Roots of Heresy

     The Sargent stepped making his way through the densely packed jungle brush his squad not far behind, the jungle night was humid and warm and the men of Storm Trooper Platoon-D14 were unusually anxious as they trekked forward deeper into the dark expanses of ths jungle.

    The temple grounds a hive of activity as cultist rushed to and forth preparing for the sinister ritual being enacted this night.

     "Work faster you welps! The dark gods will not provide for those who do not sacrifice themselves in return!" a watch master howled as he whipped the the mass of slaves as they depreately dragged unholy monuments into place.

    " Soon my dear," Balphor whispered into the girl's ear. " You will serve your true masters yet." He assured as he pointed out to her a slab of thick stone next to his alter. 

    " Boss wheres this path leadin us?" Prim asked already bored from playing follow the lead in the hot jungle night.

     " Wherever the Emperor needs us Prim," Shail stated plainly as he stepped over a fallen tree trunk. " Supreme Command however, wants us radio silent and buttoned up until we get there." 

    " Whats that supposed ta mean?" Prim questioned as he brushed away predatory insect intent on feasting on his life blood.

    " It means stay quiet before every able man in the valley hears you Prim." Dalax pressed into the younger trooper as he shoved him forward.

   The heretics now began to mass before Balphor's alter hollering and raging at his very presence, The turncoat preacher served as a conduit for the dark loards bidding. He raised his hand to the crowd and they embraced him as only chem-fueled psychopathic heretics took.

    " Bring forth the sacrifice!" Balphor called forth ready to begin the ceremony, 

    " Am I really seeing this Sarge?" Dalax questioned as he stared into the the dark ceremony.

    " I dont know what to make of it, all i know is those are imperial citizen" Shail stated as he stared into the eyes of the cage of slaves.

    Balphor unwraps his sacred blade and holds it up for all to see as the girl is chained to the slab. The blade itself curves like a serpent, constructed of a dark alloy and dripping with some type of foul poison. The crowd went estatic as he turned and raised his arms to plunge id deep into the her abdomen. 

     " Now!" Shail yelled as he rose from the jungles under brush firing his hell pistol into the crowd of cultist, " Cut them turncoat bastards down!"

     " Servents of the false Emperor! Slaughter them!"

    The two forces smashed into one another meeting with combat blades rifles and pistols. Shail broke from the melee and made it to Balphor's alter the preacher dting behind it his knife deep inside him " Have you ever gazed upon this planet's moom sargent?" he manages through gritted teeth. "Upon any other night its alabaster lumanious would saturate the valley, but on this night. Now that the blood of the innocent and wicked has been spilled. It has adopted the color of its prisoner!" 

     A beastial roar filled the air within the ruins of the temple, Shail whipped around to find that a ominous shadow had casted out the eerie red wash the moon casted onto the battle. Frightened to his core the officer peered up to catch a glimps of what had been unshackled.

     " Daemon! Run for it!" A guardsman shouted as the hulking bloodthirster, greater deamon of Khorne circled above toying with its prey below. 

     In one foul swoop the monstrous creature dived down, gathering tremendous speed the enraged beast crashed into the blood soaked stone floor of the ruins crushing guardsman and cultist alike with little care.