Apology Accepted

For some time now, I have been dealing with hatred, depression, greed, envy, and it just consumed me like some monster from under the bed, that was tormenting me with how I would taste. And he says I taste esquisite, like the finest ambrosia wine to ever be sampled. (I prefer Scotch myself but that is for another time.) So I just wanted to say that I am now back to writing, and publishing my friends stories that they give me. So first, a little something I wrote...
Brother Darkness

"Again I writhe upon the backs of pain.
Where thy open arms greet me with such succulent suffering, that I could dare not say no.
 The blackness opens up the maw of misery, and I embrace it like a lost brother.
You see, but do not see, you hear, but do not actually hear!
A trap I daresay for the steely mind of wonder that is truly mine.
This world that is twisting, turning, lurching, plummeting to a demise that death herself could not fathom
for she is but an actor in this play called life!
 Hark! I pray thee, do not let my fortitude leave me in this blackest hour of the night, for I know that it is my last!
My memories consume me with a soul, my thoughts turn the sweetest of innocence into a monster so hideous
that even I cringe to look upon thy ghastly face of my own mortality.
My heart is forever frozen in a state where laughter and sorrow face each other in a battle to the death of what I once was.
 For I dream of the terrible, the unforgiving, the agonizing, the wort that festers until it explodes
in nothing more but the crimson that is my own spirit that shall never flower!
 For I am but a man, who shall never again feel the light of day against my flesh,
only my brother darkness shall see me for who I really am..."

And now, the second chapter of Blood Raven 117's story, and have a good week people.

Chapter II

Death Of a Guardsmen

   Larnegin was smiling for the first time in weeks. Sitting down next to the others around the Guitar, he looked at the rank pins in the cardboard box as the guitar played a soft melody. Janeson peeked over and smiled as well. Larnegin looked over to the others and they all stared back at him. Larnegin was speechless, a officer was meant to be a charismatic, brave, and strong leader. He was not much of any of those things, he was tactically sound and loyal all the way to the Emperor of mankind, but he was no Sergeant.

   The men stayed silent as they saw Larnegin tentatively pick up the pins and slowly attach them to his collar, a velvet strip was on his helmet for just this thing. Once he had attached the pin, he  carefully applied the sewing adhesive to his arm for the patch. Looking up from his newly done work the men were smirking. Larnegin smiled in reply and all of them busted out laughing. Calming down Larnegin's unease diminished. Smiling now, he realized he may be the right man. He hoped he could prove that to be true.

   After the round of laughter. Larnegin went to his own bunk and taking off his boots collapsed into his bed. He had been on the night watch and been up for more then sixteen hours and he was dead on his feet from fatigue. He would give just about anything for a bath and a soft bed, but this was all he had. Rolling over and getting comfortable he swiftly fell unconscious.

   About ten minutes later he was woken up by Caref and was urged on his feet. All the men inside were whispering low and checking weapons and equipment. Larnegin's head throbbed and all he heard was the loud whine of his ears protesting at a loud noise and being waken up. Sergeant Caref was walking, Larnegin heard nothing but he followed his mouth. They were to attack the enemy soon. His hearing returning Larnegin started to hear loud whistles and shrieks as their artillery opened fire on the Chaos mutants positions. He heard even louder explosions as they kissed dirt and sent it flying to clatter in dark black clumps on the ground.

   Getting his boots on as fast as his cold hands would allow Larnegin slid them on and laced them. Janeson handed him a roll of tape and he tapped his boots closed so water would enter them. Looking around Sergeant Caref began to brief them on the section they were going to hit, it was supposedly a weaker point in the trench line, they were to take it with all their strength, and hopefully from there lead a charge to the enemy AA guns and eliminate them. Tactica command had estimated around five hundred mutants were manning those ditches in the dirt and less then one hundred manned gunnery posts along the Kilometer stretch. Caref's platoon had been volunteered for pushing there way in and opening a gap. Larnegin hoped those men and woman cozy behind the lines were right about their estimations, other wise they may not live long enough to see the next sun.

   Larnegin fastened his bowled helmet around his head as he ducked his head through the gas curtains followed by the rest of the platoon. Crouch walking they heard answering artillery from the mutant lines, compared to the big explosions created by the Imperial Basilisks and Earth Shaker pieces they were nothing more then a hand grenade exploding next to a super nova. Or that's what it seemed like. Getting to their exit point Caref got in front of Larnegin and smiled at his new second. “Ready Corporal?” He asked no longer talking formally. “Yes sir!” Larnegin nodded as he assented. Clutching his Lasgun he did the only thing  a sane man in a trench does, pray.

   Then their signal came, three loud whistles in order marked the mad dash of a charge across no man's land. Hopping over the trench the basilisks fired smoke canisters to cover their advance. They were disguised as gas canisters and had been fired into the enemy lines and on no man's land. Just in case the mutants had fired their own grenades Caref had ordered everyone to put on their masks. No one argued at the necessity of this. Strapping on hoods and gas masks they charged forward with all due haste. Mortar shells dropped amongst them but no heavier weapons fired thankfully. They had no idea where the charge was going to hit. A lucky mortar hit nearby disintegrated a pair of men, one liquidized, the other torn to shreds as the heavy round came crashing down. The men around the explosion had only minor wound and got up breathlessly spraying antiseptic on the surely infected wounds if they could and running when they could not.

   Larnegin had his lasgun point first with his gleaming bayonet pointing out as well. The smoke was so thick it was near impossible to see where you walked. Charging forward he fell right in the trench toppling two mutants at a fixed gun. One, evidently the loader, had a pistol drawn as the other tried to throttle him with its mutated hands and tentacles. Larnegin fired point blank into the one trying to grab him, then he swung around quickly and started to stab the one mutant with a pistol before he could fire trying desperately, and almost in a panic, to kill it. He heard more men drop around him and turned to see most of the platoon made it. Letting out a cheer at they cut down the mutants at the trench and overrunning the place. It was too easy thought Larnegin. Then the smoke started to clear and just 50 meters to his left down the walkway he saw a horde of them, convering on them to end their lives.

   Larnegin nearly froze at the sight of the disgusting and horrifying creatures before him, many were twisted parodies of man, lurching and running down the trench line. Many had extra appendages, limbs, even heads. Some also had twisting tentacles for arms, scales, fur, spines, any thing that could be thought of they had it. Like some twisted display of all things in nature. Then he saw it. Saw the creature that would send fear to the deepest part of a man. Sergeant Caref broke his fear filled stare, “FIRST RANK FIRE! SECOND RANK FIRE! NOW DAMN YOU!” He screamed into the vox and air raising his purring chain-sword high into the sky. Immediately troopers formed two ranks of men. Larnegin got in the front rank and kneeled down. “Fire!” immediately hot lazer death spat at the enemy.

   Larnegin fired, feeling the satisfying recoil of discharge. Red lines of energy shot at the mutants, sending the first score down into the muck to be trampled by the press. They didn't even have to kill them in their first shot, just knock em over and the rest kill them with stampeding feet. Larnegin kept his rate of fire up. Already men at the sides who did not form a rank began to fire into the press full auto. He saw as he fired, a things head explode in black brackish blood and gore. He realized he had set his lasgun to full power, over kill for the mutants, but it was to late to switch it now as they got closer now only twenty-five meters away.

   Larngein fired his last shot then his gun fizzled, his energy cell had run out of juice and there was no time to reload. Despite the heavy toll the mutants suffered, they still came in with more then enough numbers to butcher them all. Seeing now up close the thing that was so dreadful. It was three times the height of a man at least, and four times as wide. It had a ghastly head with a pair of horns that were dirty with blood and grim. Its eyes, a pure white like the snow from Vernesta's beautiful mountains. The thing was now barely five meters away roaring loudly. Tentacles rose from its back flapping uselessly as nerves spasmed, its large meat corded, muscle bound arms ready to crush him. Then salvation came in the form of Commissar Jard.

   The Commissar fired his lug mounted grenade launcher at the Chaos spawn. Larngein closed his eyes and covered his face as meat and blood splattered across his body sending him on his arse. He saw how the thing exploded from its back sending it crumpling in half like it was cut in half. Now he would truly give anything for a bath as he rose up from the trench floor's muck. Looking around Commissar Jard was screaming obscenity’s to the enemy as he lead 5th platoon in to the fray. The mutants lost all hope as they saw the giant Chaos spawn die in such a spectacular fasion. Slaughtered as surely as the mutants would have slaughtered the Imperials they had taken the trench. Looking out Larnegin smiled at the Commissar. The man met his gaze and his grin was wicked in the extreme. Jard looked every ounce of imperial discipline. His uniform was clean, with a green sash around his waist and over his shoulder, he had several decorations of honor on his chest over his heart shining brightly with pride, daring the enemy to shoot at him. His great black and red trimmed great coat flew out behind him as the wind took up from the east. His cap was peaked and had the regimental pin of the Vernesta Marines and had the Imperial Aquila on it. His face was a grim set of determination, his black trimmed hair swept under his cap. His eyes shown a dark blue that spoke out brightly to his white pinched skin. He looked every amount of a hero.

   Larnegin realized he had his mouth agape and closed it. The Commissar smiled more friendly like and said, “Corporal, good to see you.” The big man smiled and jumped off into the trench. He turned off his power blade and sheathed it. Larnegin stood at attention and saluted with a shaking hand.  The commissar smiled much more friendly like and said, “Don't stand gawping boy! Reload!” Larnegin shook with sudden realization and began to do so. “Sergeant! Who's still kicking?” Jard asked Caref and they went to the side. Now the immediate battle around them was over Larnegin realized the battle raging around. He saw artillery firing from all sides and the red and green exchanges of las fire. Setting his power gauge lower Larnegin saw Janeson smiling at him. Larnegin couldn't help but smile back at his close friend as he realized what happened. He had just stared down a Imperial Commissar with not a hint of fear in his eyes. They both laughed. 'What a strange day this day is.' He thought.