Listening to dubstep this morning drove me to a place of imagined war. It gave me power and issued me with a lofty sense of creativity. As a result, I’m at my keyboard right now.

So often, I am brought back to my younger years of playing miniature wargames with friends when I hear certain types of music (so often, 90's pop). Well, for most of it, I spent my time within my own mind as I painted my miniatures. As weapons and armour were applied with colour, my mind turned inside itself and took me to that world. As strokes of red were left on the Space Marine’s bolt gun, I could see flashes of white at the muzzle as blackened bolts left the gun heading in slow motion towards an immediate threat…

Let’s dive into a narrative!

Kyrann’s Ultramarine blue armour was covered in the blood of his brethren, forming purple flags of honour and loss across his chest, arms and legs. The whirring of his powered suit sent vibrations through his enhanced body. He scanned the scene. So many of his brothers left in the scourge of the Tyranid attack. His optics focussed on what tactical options he had left. Few, if any, would preserve his own life, but his duty was to protect his homeworld. For aeons before, Kyrann’s chapter had fought these aliens and today was no different. Just in front of him, a crippled dreadnought. It’s huge torso separated from limbs and half submerged in the filth that covered the ground, much of which consisted of the horde that the warrior was consumed by. These were termagaunts; nimble alien warriors equipped only with talons and driven by the Hive Mind. The pool of acidic blood the dreadnought was sitting in quickly began corroding exposed metal.

Kyrann heaved and lifted the heavy plasma weapon that was once the arm of the huge mechanised warrior toward the next wave of ‘gaunts bounding in a rhythmical torrent of ferocious claws and black eyes. His training forced him to make a bold move – leave cover and use the nearest weapon of most destructive force to protect his marine brothers in the ranks behind him.

An acrid vapour lashed his face. As he turned the find it’s source, the lictor, a horror beyond imagination had materialised behind Kyrann; cloaking and camouflage it’s specialty.

In an instant, it drove lengthy, penetrating blades through the chest of Kyrull. Blood purged from his mouth as he toppled forward and over the plasma weapon as the lictor’s weapon were retracted. The creature’s legs flexed. It sprang away and shimmered all colours of the battlefield as it faded into a blur.

Nick

All content is original.

Acknowledgement

Cover Art
https://img07.deviantart.net/7d0b/i/2013/224/d/8/ultra_marine_by_thelateman-d6hrlo3. jpg