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Kings of Dragons -
Background
From the point of view of
Murdoc Dragonius, Dragon Master of the 1st company
Dust
sprouted as I and many others under my command began to take flight. We
were heading towards the large mass of Orks heading towards our most
valuable Cathedrals on Gantan. Our mission: to demoralize them and destroy
them. The scream of our specialized land speeders filled the air, such a
terrible noise. Such a noise they could make even Orks run at the sound of
them.
We
started to close in on them. I could now even smell them. That foul stench
that arose from their ugly green bodies. I
felt overwhelmed with power as the adrenaline began to rush through my
veins. All I could see and smell was orks and all I could feel, was power.
We landed right on top of
them. Our speeders strafing them, our dreads killing them by the tens, and
soon the rest let a hail of withering fire fly upon the Orks. The Orks
were thrown into panic, and shouted orders quickly and furiously. Blood
flew everywhere as they fell like flies. They started to run, just as our
slow moving brothers landed with a ferocious crashing sound. The Orks, if
they had a chance at all were now doomed as our glorious terminators began
their killing spree. They ripped apart even the strongest of Orks with
ease. Their claws couldn’t be stopped by even the greatest Ork armour.
The Orks started to run, but found themselves surrounded. The bravest of
Orks attempted to run through our lines only to be felled by bolter fire.
The Orks bodies were
sprinkled across the battlefield with the odd marine, lying about. We
quickly mourned them, and then began to bring their fallen bodies back
home as we took flight. We achieved our mission with few casualties and
brought home yet another victory for the King of Dragons. On our way home
I began to think of the few
days I had before I was sent to war, and soon went into a daze.
* I found myself standing
in line wearing only my jump pack and scout armor. I was learning how to
operate it. I took flight for my first time, wavering and diving here and
there. What a wonderful feeling you get when you fly. I remembered how our
chapter was to be dismembered to send our assault marines and terminators
to other chapters. Then the next morning we were assigned to fight on
Gantan against some Orks, although I didn't understand why the Emperor
would order the dismembering of the chapter and then change and order us
to defend a planet where barely anyone lived. The only value of that
planet I could think of was it was a holy planet and so had several
cathedrals, but other than that nothing was really on it, that I knew of
at least.
A week later, I awoke to
the sound of a transport ship landing. It was carrying some very valuable
units. We were given many more land speeders, and something no other
chapter had, a huge treaded machine, as big as a land raider, it was armed
with a large array of weaponry. We immediately hung our chapters’
emblems and trophies on the machine, and had our tech priest pray to the
machine god for us. The Emperor also sent us our former champions, reborn,
they were the heroes lost in Armageddon. They were encased in dreadnought
armour, modified with a twin-engine jump pack. These dreadnoughts were
called Bahamuts, named after the most powerful of dragons, the king
himself. They could not talk, but heard what we said. We welcomed them.
This was no time to be excited though as in the next few days we were to
be sent to Gantan.
The shuttles landed the
next day, and we all packed our war gear. They dropped us off on Gantan,
at our base of operations, The Cathedral of the Great Dragon. We had only
been down for a few minutes and soon found ourselves preparing for the
first onslaught. *
I shook my head as we neared home, or what we have
called home for so many a year. I was now the leader of our company. I
then said something I would remember forever, “When
will this war end...”.
Please
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