The Unholy Legions of Anti-Sanctus Chaotica, a Warhammer Online Destruction Regiment, Chicken Soup for the Souless

Hey guys, just reposting my original RP thread "...Chaos Chicken Crosses the road..." from the old forums. Sadly I don't have any one elses responses to it but it's been a pretty linear story so far anyways. Without furthur ado...

Chapter 1

"It's Dark Outside and I Smell Strawberries"

It'd been three days since the fated meeting with the four dread lords of the Unholy Legion. Tzilbalba stood at the edge of the infernal wasteland looking out towards a bleak and darkened basin, not yet infested but not completely whole. Hefting his axe and heaving a great sigh he continued his southernly trek. The road was long and it would be a while before he reached the more civil lands of Kislev.

Picking up his pace he noted that the day had begun to wax it's brightest and the desolate earth gave precious little cover against the midday rays. Looking up he saw an ominous sign as carrion birds drifted lazily over-high. Even though he was a newly born Chosen of Tzeentch he had trekked nonstop for nearly three days and exhaustion was beginning to take its toll.

"Damn Sigmar's freckled ass", swearing he made his way towards the cover of shade.

Ever since his armor changed he had noticed other things about him metamorphosing as well, slowly but surely. In fact, no one had been as surprised as Tzilbalba when he walked out of the cave looking like a nightmare come to life. It hadn't even registered while the transformation took place. As a result his once trusty steel plate and helm were now twisted with runes and accursed symbols, bird eyes and sharp protrusions sprouted from him like an evil weed.

Continuing his search for shelter he came closer and closer to what seemed like a dwelling. From the cliffs above it had blended seamlessly with the rest of the environment but it soon became apparent that a crude stone edifice had been built into the side of a steep hill. Surrounding the makeshift home was an assorted patch of fresh vegetation. Tree saplings sprouted from the roof, and a recently overturned water pot indicated that it was still inhabited.

"What manner of fool would live in such a blighted place?", he wondered to himself.

Approaching cautiously he began to contemplate all different kinds of foul beings who possessed the strength to move the slabs of granite which made up the building.

His mouth parched he muttered to himself, "This could be the work of an ogre...no too small, an orc? No, too stupid. Perhaps an errant marauder or...", before he could finish his sentence a loud screech erupted as the wooden door burst open revealing a scrawny old man wizen with age, his skin hanging off brittle bones.

"KYAAA!! You'll never take me alive! I'll throw thunder bolts in yer eyes, I'll burn yer skivvies to ash! I'll drown ye in a puddle of yer own sweat!"

Taken by surprise Tzilbalba quickly stepped back readying his weapon. The old man realizing that the hulking chosen standing before him was not who he'd thought, stopped his screaming and wild gesticulating.

In a low and ragged voice he chuckled, "oh ho ho, your a big'un ain't ya, not exactly who I was expectin, m'sorry if I scared ye thar. Ye never know what kinda horrible things come outta them wastes...I once saw me a chaos bunny or was it a squirrel? Anywho, evil thing had four eyes and sharp teeth like...".

As the old man continued his rambling Tzilbalba wondered if he hadn't stumbled upon some chaos touched buffoon. Looking over his "host" he decided that aside from the incessant chatter the geezer posed no outward threat.

"ENOUGH OLD MAN!", rumbled the consternated warrior. "I have no time for your madness. I seek shelter and sustenance and you shall provide it for me or I will cut out your beating heart and..."

A wave of nausea swept over Tzilbalba as he locked eyes with the mad old fool. Eyes which had become increasingly clear and piercing, "...Yes, yes five ears and a furry little tail to boot!...". He was quickly becoming disoriented and sluggish. Hefting his weapon he prepared to end the old mans life once and for all but before he could strike his mind went suddenly blank and his body hit the floor like a sack of bricks.

"...black kangaroo shoes and...oh! Well he seems to be asleep eh", chuckling madly to himself the old man bent over Tzilbalbas prone form, "Not terribly polite of ye old chap, dozin off in tha middle o'me story like that although it has that effect on folk sometimes. Well, no matter lets get yer heavy load inside so ye can sleep it off...all kinds a mean things prowlin round these lands'ere". Grabbing one of Tzilbalba's armored boots the old man, displaying inhuman strength, began to drag the unconscious warrior inside.

To anyone watching it would have almost seemed comical.

Chapter 1, continued...

By the time Tzilbalba awoke, nights shadowy veil had already enveloped the dusty basin. Groaning with confusion he tried opening his eyes only to find them glued shut with sleep. Suddenly realizing where he was, instincts took over as he sprang to his feet. Finding that he was missing his weapon and a good deal of armor, he inwardly groaned. In fact, the only thing that remained was the breastplate. Swearing profusely he immediately took stock of his surroundings. The room was sparsely furnished, aside from a straw bed and chair in the corner it was virtually empty. Beams of moonlight filtered in from cracks running down the granite wall casting silhouettes where it fell.

It occurred to him, as he looked around, that this room seemed like it would make up the entirety of the building he’d seen from outside. A faint glow of firelight could be detected from beneath the wooden door and Tzilbalba could make out shadows flitting about as if dancing to some cacophonous rhythm. Cautiously approaching the doorway he grabbed the nearby chair planning to use it as a bludgeon. As he got closer the sound of singing reached his ears, the melody was jarring and disjointed and as he listened closely to the words he could make no sense of them.

"Ralala la la...by elven beards...ralalalalahoo..."

Recalling what happened previously when he let his guard down he furrowed his thick brows and grit his teeth, "Damn that old fool, he'll not catch me unawares again!" With a loud bellow he charged through the exit.

"Mincemeat pie and skylark rye I...What?!!"

The scene which unfolded before Tzilbalba stopped the massive warrior in his tracks, if he hadn't felt the sting of the camp fires light in his eyes, or smelled the acrid smoke drifting before him, he would never have believed it was real.

Extending back into the shadows as far as his eyes could see; stretched an enormous hallway gilded with Gothic designs and primeval statues. The ceiling vaulted impossibly towards the heavens supported by columns of black marble, ruby serpents lie coiled at their base. In between the columns sat massive doorways made of bronze and steel. Fell designs engraved every surface of the hall, details blurring together for its intricacy. A faint blue light also illuminated the surface of the floor, emanating from an unknown source.

In the middle of it all stood the crazed old man looking as surprised and befuddled as ever. His mouth hung agape as his eyes fixed themselves on the half dressed Chosen wielding a chair. He held a pot in one hand and a spoon in the other, seeming to have been in the process of ladling out its contents. Before Tzilbalba could recover, the mad man twirled once and scampered over.

Sputtering beans everywhere and shouting with mad glee he approached the Chosen. "So he's awake is he! Fine, fine a merry couple we shall make!" then suddenly clutching the pot closer to his body his eyes narrowing, "But no beans fer you! Took me fer'ever ta find these, Uncle Bens best they say!" feeling sheepish he added, "Well mebbe some, I do have to be a good host after all!"

Paying no attention to the old man Tzilbalba spoke in a reverent whisper, "What manner of place is this?! It's as though I've stepped into the realm of the Gods themselves!"

Cocking one bushy eyebrow towards the Chosen the old man inquired, "The Gods? Are you sure your alright my dear boy? Perhaps you hit yourself on the head too hard when you tripped outside?" seeing Tzilbalba scowl he quickly added, "Well no, perhaps to you it may seem impressive, although I'm not sure what's so holy about a small hole in the wall such as this" the man said chuckling at his own pun.

"Small? SMALL?! Have you no eyes to see the truth before you old fool?!" suddenly remembering the person responsible for his half dressed state, the chosen rounded furiously on the old man, only to find him nervously twisting at his long beard in a vain attempt to rid it of beans. "What have you done with my weapon and armor?!" demanded the indignant warrior, "Return them to me at once or...".

Cackling with laughter once again, the old man cut him off, "Eehehe, ye'll fry me undershirt and force me ta wear it?! I must say old chap ye've got quite an imagina'tiv mind!" As Tzilbalba made a swipe for him the old man danced away laughing, "Ach no! Ye'll never be gettin these beans now!" without missing a beat he turned and scuttled towards the first black column disappearing behind it's bulk. Seeing his antagonizer flee and with him any information on his where abouts Tzilbalba quickly gave chase. "Damn you come back! Answer me! Where have you taken my things!"

A faint voice called out from the darkness followed by more maniacal laughter, "Ye'll have ta find me te find out!"

Chapter 1, cont...

A cool breeze caressed his face as the sweet smell of spring, undiminished by the odors of a bustling town, wafted by. On it's sweet scent he could detected all the various aspects of village life, the leather tanner tending to his hides, the blacksmiths forge churning out metals...and the delectable smell of fruit after an early harvest.

The lanky boy opened his eyes, and lazily gazed at the midday sun. This time of year would be greeted with festivals and celebrations, leaving behind the long cold days of winter. He would need to rush back home soon, an errand had led him on a long chase to "buy" different ingredients for today's supper. Quickly sweeping back his shortly cropped black hair, the boy began to jog home.

As he entered the market square he noticed the fruit vendor had a new batch of that delectable specimen he had detected in the air. Strawberries, a staple of this humble burgs diet was a treat he enjoyed much too often and on more than one occasion, to excess. Thinking quickly, he rolled up the sleeves of his tattered jerkin and made a quick dash into an alleyway that ran behind the cart. Making this detour might earn him a lashing or two but it was well worth it if he could make away with the prize. Taking off his worn and dirty shoes and slipping them into his pack he carefully began to sneak up behind the vendor.

As he edged forward he saw his chance open up, the fat man was busy haggling with one of the local matrons on the price of apples. Completely immersed in the bargain, he failed to notice a slender hand making its way into the basket next to his foot. With a few deft motions the boy had all the strawberries he would need to satisfy him for the day, grinning to himself he began to make his way back.

All of a sudden, still triumphant from the glory of this small victory, the boy heard a bellow. "Stop thief!!!, Stop!! Those are my berries!!".

Without a seconds hesitation he bolted out of the alleyway as fast as his legs could carry him with the sounds of an outraged fruit vendor hounding closely behind him. After about a block or two the distant shouting drifted off as the overweight vendor decided that a few strawberries just wasn't worth the effort. Sweating with exertion but still giddy from the exhilaration of the chase, the boy began to giggle to himself, "That fat old fool would never have been able to catch me." Popping a berry into his mouth and savoring the sweet taste of victory, he once more began to trek home, stopping only once to see if he had dropped anything on the way.

The quarters where he lived were not the best in town by any stretch of the imagination. The dredges of society gathered here, and here in between ram-shackled houses and dreary alleyways resided thieves, whores and gamblers of every kind who would congregate at night to make good their own festivities. In actuality he lived in a boarding house, a rundown mansion of some minor lord who had given it up to move into better quarters. Amongst the 12 children who lived with him the matron of the household, "mother" expected each of them to earn their keep by whatever means necessary.

As he walked past the dilapidated front door he bumped into one of the older children living there, Thomas. Thomas had always been a respectable sort preferring to work for his share rather than reducing himself to stealing like some of the others. It wasn't that he was a bad chap just a little uptight, supposedly he had come from the home of an imperial knight who had fallen on hard times, literally, at the end of a Chaos marauder's spear.

Thomas took one look at the boys bulging bags and gave a sigh of exasperation, "Kor, will you never learn? Stealing won't get you anywhere in this life, what you need you have to work for with hard labor and honesty, only then will Sigmar reward your efforts."

"Your as preachy as ever Tom, off to the mill again? Maybe when you get back you can have some of my hard earned goods." the boy said with a smirk.

Quickly dodging a playful cuff aimed at his head, he scrambled inside with the litany of Thomas ringing in his ears, "I found a new position at the mill for you Kor, promise you'll come with me tomorrow and try it out!" Waving dismissively the boy ran through the parlour and headed straight towards the kitchen.

As he entered he could see the broad back of the matron mother standing at the kitchen counter chopping vegetables. Hearing the door open she turned and fixed her stern gaze upon him. Taking one look she demanded, "What took you so long you no good rascal?!"

"Sorry mam, It took me a little more time than usual to get yer ingredients and..." a sharp crack resounded as the back of the matrons hand connected with his cheek. "No more excuses! You were suppose to be back an hour ago!" the matron shouted, her jowls quivering with anger. "I don't run a charity here, I feed you, I house you and I cloth you! Don't think you can play me for a fool! You were out stealing again weren't you?!" She stomped over to where his bags lay, swiftly picking them up and inspecting their contents. Throwing the bag on the counter she continued, "I won't be housing a thief in my house, if you think for a moment I'll stand here and be accused by the townsfolk because a little ragamuffin like you decided he'd rather steal than work, your sorely mistaken! Now get yourself gone and go help Mina with the firewood."

Rubbing his stinging cheeks he sullenly obeyed, the irony that she still kept his goods was not lost on him. Then again he'd gotten away with only a sore cheek and no lashings, not to mention that she didn't know about his delicious detour. All in all not a bad day considering the best part was that he inadvertently got to help Mina!

As he exited the house he saw the girl in question walking back towards him clutching a load of firewood closely to her chest. Next to her walked Jonas, one of the younger children at the orphanage. "Mina! I've come to help!" shouted Korvash as he ran towards them.

A waif of a girl with dirty blond hair and a pretty face belaying her station, Mina was considerate and kind to everyone she met. As he came closer he greeted them with an enthusiastic wave, "Hey Jonas, keeping out of trouble?" he said winking at the smaller boy. Jonas stared up at him with wide saucer eyes and nodded hesitantly, shyly hiding himself behind Mina's dress. Seeing Korvash approach she answered back, "Your home late today Kor, it's a good thing you came, we've about run out of firewood in the shed and I still need more", "Would you please help me gather some in the woods?" she beamed. "I have to get Jonas inside so you'll have to go by yourself, I hope you don't mind."

"Su..sure thing Mina, no problem." stuttered the lad, it was impossible for him to speak whenever Mina spoke to him like that. Seeing a knowing smile creep up Jonas's face he added with bravado, "I'll get you the biggest pile of firewood you'd ever seen!" with that he dashed off towards the direction of the forest.

Chapter 1 continued...

Kor looked up at the starry sky, it filled his mind with awe and sent his heart fluttering with wonder, so beautiful yet so distant. He could almost hear them singing their ethereal melody just for him. As he made his way through the twisting copse in search of more firewood he couldn't help but think of all the magnificent things he was missing. But one day he would make his way into the wider world. He'd make his way out and bring Mina with him, maybe even little Jonas.

As he fantasized he noticed an odd occurrence in the skyline, in the distance towards the village an orange glow had begun to slowly emerge out of the horizon. The longer he looked the redder and more prominent it became. Panic grew quickly in his chest, the pressure was almost suffocating. No fire in town was big enough to cast such a light, no fire unless...dropping the pile of wood, Korvash ran back towards town with all his might, running as he never had in all his short years of life, running through the forest, towards Mina.

It hadn't been ten minutes since she'd sent Korvash off to collect more wood, and already little Jonas was becoming a nuisance. Pulling at her skirt determinedly he pleaded, "Mina, go back in, I feel bad".

"A moment Jonas, I still need to bring in the laundry" she chided gently .

Just as she brought down the last piece of clothing from the hanging lines, a distant sound pierced the evening calm. Turning her head towards the disturbance she barely noticed Jonas edging farther and farther away, his eyes wide with terror. "What in the world could that..." A second scream rent the air, this time it was unmistakable, terrible in it's unison, magnificent in it's chaos...

Running and panting for breath the fruit vendor collapsed by a set of stone stairs, his bruised and bloody features spoke of some horrible ordeal. Gore covered him from head to toe. His panic stricken eyes darting furiously back and forth looking for an escape, some salvation from the horror. Denying his weary limbs any more rest he ripped himself away from the cobblestone streets and began to run again...towards safety...towards nowhere...

Chapter 2

"Let's do the Timewarp Dance!"

The Chosen stepped through the doorway intent in his pursuit of the old man, the next thing he knew he was facing an idyllic valley in a town that seemed all too familiar. The sweet scent of lilacs in their final bloom filled his nostrils. As he looked around he noticed tall buildings in the style of the Empire and cobble set stone streets which seemed a bit off for some reason. Looking down he also observed that his hands had changed, they were no longer the rough strong hands of a warrior, but small, smooth and crusted with dirt. Following them up, he saw that he wore a coarse jerkin with a small vest. His feet were covered by tattered shoes and his pants were threadbare.

Upon further inspection he found brown curls streaming down his head the tops of which were snugly encased in a worn beaten down hat. While still disoriented and confused he heard a woman scream to his left, a sound that seemed to have been going on for a while now but only recently becoming a part of his awareness with its rising crescendo. As the screams got louder he turned his attention to the source of the disturbance, there stood a young girl of no less than fourteen winters comely and stiff with terror. She didn’t turn her head to look at him. Wide eyes showing the briefest glimmers of rationale focused on some terrible scene before her, mouth open in mute horror all the screams appearing to have finally fled.

He was sure he knew this girl from somewhere but he couldn’t place it, finally after a few moments he gave up and turned to see what was upsetting her so. There upon the back stairs leading to a mansion lay the torn body of a portly old woman, her features contorted with pain and suffering. Standing over the body and still holding the instrument of her demise was a hulking brute laden with cruel and barbaric armor. Red eyes gleamed from beneath a horned mask as it took one more bloody swipe at the mutilated corpse, confirming what had been evident for quite some time now.

Only now did he finally smell the acrid smoke that mingled with the earlier smell of lilacs. Only now did he hear the numerous shouts and cries that rent the twilight air, a harsh wailing that could be heard from a distance.

Reaching up to clear his eyes he found that his face was wet with tears…tears! He’d forgotten how to shed such things a long time ago, this was impossible. As he was musing over this phenomenon another feeling struck him, fear. A cold shiver swept through his spine as he stared at the warrior standing in the doorway, his palms began to sweat and his limb froze with panic. Why was he doing this? Why was the matron covered in red and her belly open to the world? Most importantly why was Mina just standing there, she was suppose to make everything right! She always made everything right!

All of a sudden as if to banish his doubts the girl broke out of her daze and lunged for his hands. Grabbing them she hysterically dragged the small child behind her running for the distant woods. Her face was pale and her arm was strong with terror fueled adrenaline. He felt as if she’d almost torn his arm off!

“Hurry Jonas! We have to get out of here!” She breathlessly screamed.

Without a seconds thought the small boy obeyed and pumped his legs as fast as he could, anything to get away from that horrible image.

As the duo ran towards the protection of the trees, Korvash emerged. Running anxiously towards Mina he could see from his vantage point that the entire town was nearly aflame. A lone figure stood in the doorway of their previous home, looking like grim death itself. The apparition slowly turned and shuffled into the mansion dragging its gory prize behind it as the shadows consumed them both. He didn’t know if he should feel relieved or alarmed that the monster hadn’t followed.

He quickly closed the distance and embraced the sobbing and terrified girl in a fierce hug, steadying her step as well as his own. Mina was beside herself with grief and horror; as she sobbingly told him in brief hiccup filled words what had transpired, they continued their flight into the woods. Korvash looked down at little Jonas, who was pale with exhaustion and fright. He would not be able to keep up with their pace. They would have to rest soon. Scanning his surroundings quickly Korvash suddenly realized that they had nowhere to go, the town had been their entire life.

Despite such a predicament they would still have to find a place to hide for the night, wolves and other woodland hunters were abound and they weren’t prepared for an encounter with such savage beasts even on their best day. Before long, they came across a clearing with a fallen log straddling a small brook. Here the trio stopped, Korvash tended to Mina for a bit before going to check up on Jonas. The small boy seemed to have been scared out of his wits; he refused to speak and could only stare at the two with wide eyes and a frightened demeanor. After a few minutes of trying to coax the boy into drinking some water he gave up and went over to sit by Mina.

“What’ll we do now?” said the girl in a tired voice.

“Well there’s not much we can do, the whole village is in flames and from what you’ve told me you two seem to be the only ones that made it out alive.” he stated matter-of-factly. “For now we’ll rest here, when dawn breaks we make for the open road and hopefully a nearby town.”

“But won’t they come after us?!” Mina said, her hands shaking with renewed fear.

“They seemed to have no interest in you two and besides they won’t find us here, it’s away from the main road and well concealed. We should be fine for now.”

All the while the two sat discussing their plans Jonas watched on. His mind was reeling, when Korvash first appeared he recognized the boy as another person who would help them escape. A part of his mind whispered to him that he was doing the right thing in following, yet now a new part of him screamed at the situation. They would not be safe here, they could not stay! This Korvash was a fool, those monsters back in town were relentless and they would stop at nothing to wipe out everything in this area. Keep running, keep running until your legs failed you and your lungs gave out. There was no time to stop no time for rest, this horror would tear them limb from limb just like it had done to the matron. You must go; they are both leading you to your doom! Little by little Jonas slowly felt the latter voice winning out.

As the hours passed both Mina and Korvash fell asleep next to the bole of a tree, Jonas pretended to do likewise but all the time he was thinking, his mind racing with fear. The small voice inside spoke to him again, “Mina would never listen to me as long as Kor is here! I have to get rid of him so she can stay with me! She’ll blindly follow him wherever he takes us. I have to stop him if only for a short time. Once he’s out of the picture then she’ll see. We have to move! We have to keep running if we want to live” the whispers continued throughout the night.

As dawn approached Jonas slowly opened his eyes and sat up. He walked quietly to a patch of rocks by the stream. Picking out one with heft but small enough so that he could lift it, he crept towards the sleeping couple. “In the head, just a light tap to the temple and he’ll be out of the picture!”, heaving the rock over his shoulder Jonas stood over the sleeping Korvash, looking down he suddenly realized with the guilelessness of his boyish mind what he was about to do and gave a start. This was enough to awaken Korvash, a look of incomprehension dawned on him as he stared with blurry eyes at the small child with the rock. As he moved to get up, this prompted Jonas to let go of his hold, the stone dropped and hit Korvash squarely in the cheekbone with a dull thud. Giving a shout of surprise and pain Korvash rolled over clutching his face.

“Ahhhhh! What in the hells are you doing!”

The sudden sound woke Mina who got up with a start staring at the injured boy with confusion. Jonas, still shocked by what he had done quickly stepped back. All of a sudden bushes rustled with response in the distance, everyone stopped moving and held their breath. Moments later two hulking shadows strode into the clearing attracted by the noise Korvash had made. Both plated in black steel and wielding wicked weapons of death they halted searching for the source of their query. Luckily the log was between the two warriors obstructing their view of the children; the pair had not yet spotted the trio.

Jonas already shaken by the magnitude of what he was about to do bolted at the sight of these two imposing figures. The small boy took off running into the pre-dawn night. The two figures alerted by the movement immediately homed in on the boy and began their pursuit unaware of the others hiding just a few feet away.

At the sight of the monsters going after Jonas Mina immediately sprang up in order to give chase. But Korvash recovered from his rude awakening, jumped at her and dragged her bodily to the ground his hand covering her mouth.

“Stop! Be still” he said in harsh whispers, “Do you want to get us both killed!?!” when it seemed like the answer from Mina would be yes he continued to restrain her even though she struggled forcefully against him. His fear giving him a whole new strength he had not known existed.

Ignoring her muffled protests he cautiously looked up to see that the two figures had already gone. Giving a sigh of relief he released Mina. To his surprise she immediately slapped him. With tears of frustration coursing down her cheeks she gave him one last look of contempt before she too bolted from the clearing after Jonas and his pursuers. Bewildered by the series of events and stinging from both sides of his face Korvash staggered up, he was completely dumbfounded and unsure of what to do. Looking towards the direction the where last remaining associations of his past life had fled he gave a resigned sigh and followed in suit.

As always when I get time to expand I welcome anyone to join in if they'd like.