Pieni tarinanpätkä joka vaivasi minua viikon ennen kuin sain aikaiseksi kirjoittaa sen...
To die for the Emperor
A cold night was ending. Smoke rose from the ruins of a once great city now torn by war. All around it the landscape was spotted by un-countable craters, and all that was green was now stomped by hundreds of feets. Near the outskirts of the ruined metropolis a small hill rose from the blood-covered ground. Atop the hill was a simple, betonic bunker, and a large, colourful but dusty flag wove in the air above it. All around the hill swarmed a thousand of green-skinned monstrous creatures armed from teeth to feet. Their ruthless yells covered all, and the noise was horrible.
Inside the bunker a handfull of human soldiers shivered in the dark. Many were wounded, some only a little, but one took his last breath a calm, fearless look on his face. "That's what is going to happen to all of us," said a grim voice in the darkness of the bunker. "We've no hope trapped in this stinking rathole. "Sure the comissars will send a relief force to safe us?", said one young boy hopefully. "Kid, do you really think that some comissar will give a damn about us. Yeah, someone will say at one point that they should'nt give up planets conquered in Emperor's name, and some Adeptus will be sent to take this back , but before that we've been long forgotten and our bones are bleaching under the sun." The boy, called Gidian, fell silent. "Luhtor, those words ain't helpin' anyone." This time the sayer was an old veteran-warrior calling himself Brine. "Lad, that man died for the Emperor (bless 'im!). You saw how silent he was and satisfied; that's because he knew that. He knew, that he died for a good cause. Now, you should all bear in your mind, that even though our surviving is unlikely, we'll die for a reason!" Even though the words of the old man were inspiring, the stench of bodies and the cries of the greenskins quickly brought back their miserable mood. The humanity's last shield on this planet fell silent.
Darkness turned into twilight. In the increasing amount of light the defenders saw that the orks were massing for a final assault. None of the most badly wounded were alife. A pitiful number of less than fiveteen stood against thousands. So forsaked some all hope, and started to tell of an easy death by their own hands. Gidian was scared of their madness, but still the thought was tempting. A few was already loading their guns. Thus rose the oldman Brine's voice again. He spoke against the dishonor of suiside and of the glorious death that awaits in the field of battle, and of the Emperor's graze. The quardmen's despair changed into determination. And he said, pointing the tiny windows: "Look! The sun is rising! Forsake the fear of darkness! We shall pull our swords, and outside this trap the vile orkblood will be spilled like never before!" And they saw that the wilthy greenskins were marching up the hill, and Luthor ran to grab the flag. Brine kicked the door open; and light filt the building. They stept out one by one and felt free air on their skin. On the old veteran's command they drew their swords. Then yelt Brine: "For the Emperor!" and with a great cheer they ran down the hill, killing tens of orks as they went, and the ork numbers wawered and some turned away.
Gidian thrusted his sword through an ork chest. He didn't think anything, he just parried when villain stroke, and slashed when he got the opportunity. Ork fell headless in front of him. Gidian saw the old Brine struck down a huge ork nob, but he was clearly tired. On his side he saw Luthor fell from a blow, and the bright flag fell. He engaged the greenskin and the monstrosity turned away in fear left with only one arm. Gidian took up the banner. Wind took the flag, and the first sunrays shone through the numerous bulletholes in it, and there was a golden inscript on it: For the Emperor we die.
For the Emperor we die. Now understanded Gidian everything; all what the oldman said. He felt himself very happy in a strange way. There was Joens, and there Acaug. Brine fell quietly, and blood came from his mouth. An ork was really close to him. he could feel it's warm breath on his face, and the rising sun made his eyes blind as the ork rose it's axe. The flag fell from his arm to the dusty ground. Everything felt to happen to someone else, and suddendly the sun became very bright, and that was the last thing he saw.
.