27 The nighmare known as the garrison (2)
The moment the dust cleared and the rest of us could see what was behind the huge doors, only one thing could describe the sight that was in front of us. Hundreds of dead bodies piled in the main chamber as if they were deposited there for future purposes, but for what purpose I don't know or as a matter of fact, would ever want to know.
"Burn those bodies, the least we can do for those poor souls that died due to the plague."
"As you mam."
Leaving my men to burn the bodies, I've decided to contact Alexander. Maybe he found something that requires my expertise.
"Flame to Ashes !"
"Ashes!" Alexander's voice was heard. "Acknowledged, mam! We…"
As he spoke, I could hear how he fired his bolt pistol into what I could only presume to be the face of a plague victim, doubtless one of the people that lived on this planed prior to the chaos invasion or maybe even a merchant or a pirate, who knows these days anyways.
"Talk to me, Ashes! What's happening?"
Meanwhile, Alexander glanced around the pillared chamber, which was swarming with infected staggering this way and that way, uttering howls and piteous little whines. More were coming through the great double doors at the end of the hall.
"Faster, boys, faster … we must resist against the forces of chaos. Mam, if you can hear me we are surrounded by the Infected, no fewer than… one hundred and seventy, we need… reinforcements through the exterior passage… use those heavy bolters to fire at the… use your goddamned grenades, do you hear me? Captain? Captain! There's a death guard sorcerer here…"
I held a hand to my micro-bead vox as I heard, Alexander, how he fell back, trying to at least hear bits of what he was trying to tell me through the sound of his pistol being fired nonstop.
"Do you need reinforcements? Did I hear you right?"
"…affirmative mam. That would be lovely Captain. As…fast as you can…"
"Roger that, don't die Alexander." I killed the link and gripped my chainsword with both of my hands, tightly gripping the blade. We left the burning chamber and rushed towards the rest of our group, even if we all die today, that sorcerer will fall.
A few minutes later, we arrived at the exterior passage and soon las-fire flashed past me, taking down the walking corpses in waves, but there were too many. They streamed at the guardsmen in a relentless tide, screaming, howling, and sobbing.
"Bayonets and blades! for our new home and the Emperor!" At the mention of the God-Emperor, the dead wailed as if through one voice. The guardsmen locked ranks and answered with silence, awaiting the foe to reach stabbing range. I gripped my chainsword, making the blade cry while at the same time I walked between two guardsmen standing shoulder to shoulder with them, no point hiding when we would all die in the hands of a sorcerer. It was the guardsman from the left side who broke the silence. "To warp with them all! If we are to die today, we will bless those plagues driven abomination with death."
As soon as the infected reached the line, the guardsman that just talked to me, cut to the left, sending the head off a skinny plague victim, and unleashed three bolts into the infected staggering behind it.
"I already hate this planet."
And that's what he said for what may have been the tenth time today.
"Kid, behind you! Dodge !"
One guardsman yelled at the young vox caster, whose heavy vox-caster backpack made him a perfect target since he was slower, at least compared to the others in his squad. Stumbling over a body on the floor, the vox officer went down as he turned to face the infected reaching for him. A shock of pain flared through his skull as his head hit the ground. Hands mobbed him, grabbing and tearing, none of which he noticed. Dazed and barely conscious, the young vox officer didn't realize the dull throb in his leg was because one of the plague-dead had wrenched off his armor and was devouring his calf. The others seemed intent on betting him to death with their rotting fists, though the officer was so out of it he didn't feel much of that either. Yet he could hear the crying noise he was familiar with as it tore the chest of one of the infected. The grinding blade of Lena's chainsword burst through the chest of the corpse. With precise strikes and a few ungentle kicks, the captain cleared the walking dead away from the officer.
Ten more came on with their already too familiar shamble, reaching out for me. Each wore the torn outfit of the PDF, showing clear signs of combat.
"Devils! On me!"
I cried and threw myself to the ground. A storm of covering las-fire flashed over my head. When it was done, the ten infected were holed and twitching on the ground, going nowhere. I dragged the barely consciousness, bleeding vox officer behind a pillar and set him up. Mike's helmet slapped against the stone behind his head. Blood gushed from the bite wound in his leg, which I bound with a piece of my uniform made into a tourniquet.
"Put pressure on the wound. Mike, do you hear me? Keep pressure on this."
"Captain, cough…you are bloody…"
"To hell with that, don't die on my trooper."
"Cap…tain…behind…"
The chainsword was in my hands, revving up as I rose and turned around. The teeth of the blade met the shoulder of an infected in filthy clothes of a rich idiot. The sword's teeth chewed down into the corpse with holy efficiency. The man, dead for a few weeks months, screamed as my blade separate him in two. Old, dark infected blood hit both devils in a bloody shower.
Even though the burning of my muscles, even though fear-heightened senses and the adrenaline fuelling my instincts, I was annoyed enough to curse at getting sprayed again. No matter how many times does this happens, you won't get used to it, not that I would ever want to get used to it. More corpses ran towards us, only to be cut down by precise swings of my chainsword and pinpoint fire from Mike's laspistol.
Meanwhile, the Plague Sorcerer was looking at us slightly interested in those pesky guardsmen that somehow managed to slay their way through his minions. Maybe there are still some rather worthy mortals to be used.
