# Deathbringer



## deathbringer (Feb 19, 2009)

Well ideas are flowing out of the woodwork at the moment and due to the fantastic response so far to my other story "When the forest knows your name" i decided to try write this one. Thanks to all that commented and i hope you enjoy this 

Once again comments and criticism are appreciated and asked for
Thanks for your time
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The Callidus assassins do not recruit. They take.

A child who is happily playing in the street will suddenly disappear leaving the echoes of his laughter ringing in his parents ears. The authorities search but the boy is presumed dead.

On a distant death world the boy is given a sword and though he cries himself to sleep, nobody listens to his sobs. Gradually the tears fade as his memories slip away through the clumsy fingers of nostalgia.

A guardsman lies down in his bunk and the next morning is discovered missing. The authorities search for the deserter and the words traitor are stamped upon his record.

On a distant death world the man picks up a pistol and blasts a hole in a target. That night he writes letters to his comrades and as he passes them to another assassin the weight of his fears are cast away. He sits by the fire unaware that the charred remains of his fears lie within its flickering depths.

After a year of training, the first test takes place upon midsummer morning. After a year of training, the recruits have banded together as a family, taking comfort in each other as they suffer. As they struggle the glory and the pride of the Callidus temple is impressed upon them. Through the torture two feelings burn bright. The desire to become an assassin flares within them as they are strengthened and sustained by the brotherhood of their fellow recruits.

The first challenge is kept secret from every initiate and it is called simply "Ruthlessness". The initiates arm themselves and are presented with a strange suit that contains a sensor. They are then herded into a room and the doors are locked. The room is set to sub zero temperatures and they are forced to huddle together for warmth. They sit and talk, joking amongst themselves gaining comfort from the bond that has formed within the group.

Then after 3 hours a voice rings out around the hall and it is calm, cold and cruel
"Recruits. You have almost passed the test and the end is near however their is one thing that we have not told you. Only 50 of you will become initiates. Only 50 of you will be administered into the temple. The door to the temple will only be opened when 50 of you are dead"

It is a terrible moment where the heart splinters as the bonds of unity are shattered by pure ambition. For a single second their is silence then the screaming starts followed by a burst of gunfire. A women will howl "STOP" before the wail transmogrifies into an agonized scream of pain as a bullet impacts upon her rib cage.

When the 50th persons life signals fail their is a huge wave of sound that knocks the remaining recruits to their knees blinding them, disorientating them. The door opens and as they step through they are washed clean of their sins by a hooded man who does not speak

They are made to stand shell shocked and grief stricken before a second man. The master of the temple. He is the eldest of the assassins and though his back is bent by age his limbs still embody the power of the callidus. They stand in awe before him and he begins a ritual speech

"Initiates. You have proven yourself worthy today. The first quality of an assassin is ruthlessness. You have broken the bonds of unity and though the memories may haunt you, you will come through this stronger. One day you will bear the mark of the callidus. One day you will be assassins"

The man moves and passes each initiate clean robes of blue and white and to each he whispers a single word. None reiterate that word for it is the deepest emotion of their souls. The hooded man moves to the fore and though his face is misted in the darkness his voice is hard and strong.

"I am the Master of the halls. You will obey me or fight me. That is to say you will obey me or die. I will teach you the arts of subtlety and disguise. I will teach you of poisons and hone your skills till your very body is a weapon. You will reach a level of martial prowess that only astartes hold in their hands."

That night howls and screams ring from the initiates dorm and the bedsheets are changed many times. There is no snide comments for though the Master of the Halls refuses to admit he too changed his bedsheets on that fateful night. He too was haunted by the image of a bolt round shattering the skull of a man who he had admired and loved. He had screemed and clutched at his face in horror at his deeds.

The next test is named simply "fear" and its name haunts the initiates dreams. As midsummer morning dawns the initiates are once again led to a hall. Once again they are locked in and the temperature reduced till the blood seems to freeze in their veins. The initiates howl in fear and as the time moves towards the three hour mark the vox is filled with the wails of the damned. For once again they have formed the bonds of unity and they sweat over the 25 that will live.

On the 3 hour mark the callous voice rings out again

"Put on your masks and blindfolds". 

In blind relief the initiates obey and each is led by an assassin to a second hall. In two seperate halls 25 assassins and 25 initiates stand facing each other upon 25 duelling mats Each is identically dressed and in the chamber their is a sea of blue and white. A quick calculation shows each initiate that their are 50 men in the chamber and the horror builds as they assume a false truth. Though the man is an assassin whom they have never met each initiate imagines his best friends eyes staring at him through the blackened mask and they tremble with fear.

On the divide between the two chambers the master of the assassin stands in blood red robes and he says 3 words that chill the soul
"To the death"
Terror builds in the initiates holding them immobile, yet the assassins don't hesitate and they fly at the initiates with cold ferocity and the majority of the initiates fall to their first stroke. Only the quickest survive. Though the initiates are fighting for their lives a single scratch is enough to end the duel for the assassins are too precious to loose. It is expected that 20 initiates should survive the duel. 

Those that survive watch the assassins unmask themselves and bow to the new sword brethren. It is the signal of respect and the divide between the chambers will break apart as the survivors are revealed to each other.

Surrounded by the assassins they move towards the centre of the hall towards the plinth where the Master of the Halls stands. In one swift motion he removes his hood in the ultimate gesture of respect. The 20 warriors are handed blood red robes and they stand together in a huddle like a blood red stone within a storm strewn sea. Yet though they stand shoulder to shoulder each is alone with their terror for the life of an assassin is to be alone.

These 20 will continue to hone their skills in the arts of subtlety and swordsmanship and their next test is aptly named "subtlety". On Halloween the halls are emptied except for the 20 initiates and 300 variously shaped servitors. The initiates must remain concealed until the morning. What they do not know is the shape of the man who hunts them. It is the master of the assassins and though he is frail he stalks the shadows slaying at will. The next morning only 7 sword brethren will live to tell the tale.

These 7 sword brethren are forced to face the man that stalked them and they see that they thwarted the wrath of the master of the assassins. They become the Callid and they strive to gain the right to pit their skills against the final test.

Their first mission as a Callidus.

The night of the mission they are given the C'tan phase sword. The symbol of the Callidus. They are presented with a data slate that they sit and pour over as their Valkyrie moves over the planet. They are told that they must beat the greatest assassin of the temple to prove their worth to the legion. They are told at length of the assassin whose skills are honed and tested to supernatural level. 

For they must show the last quality of a Callidus in this test. Relentless determination. Whatever happens they must not give up. Thus they must race to beat an assassin beyond compare whilst the magnitude of his shadow presses upon their hearts.

For he is The master of the Halls

No Callid suspects him for they know only a fraction of his power. They duel with him in the halls and as they dart around his flashing blade his mind wanders upon new poisons, absently flitting into philosophy as his blade parries the attacks of his opponent. They see him as absent minded yet they do not know his ability nor the gravitas that surrounds his position. 

The Master of the temple is a position gained by the passing of the years. The master of the halls is a position that changes hands by murder. It is the most coveted position as every Callidus desires to pass on his knowledge and so with the position comes paranoia. The master of the Halls must be continually on the alert for every assassin desires to stain their hands with his blood. For 45 years the Master of the Halls had dodged death and retaliated with murder.

It is his job to judge which Callid are ready to become Callidus, to reveal those that aren't ready yet and those that shall never be. He must race the Callid to the target. Those that beat the master of the halls will be elevated to the rank of Callidus those that fail will be subjected to a second sterner test. 

For the master of the halls will kill the victim and assume his shape. He will then avoid the trap the Callid sets to kill him and duel the Callid. He will disarm him and press the Callid's own sword against his throat. The Master will implore him to surrender and their is only one action that doesn't end in death and allows the Callid to return to the halls to hone his skills until he is ready to try again. Those that fail see the master of the halls appear before them and feel the sword pin them to the floor by the throat.

What the Callidus that pass do not know is that the Master of the Halls has several of his own rules during this challenge for such a simple challenge is too easy for one as skilled as him. The master of the Temple set these rules and the master of the halls holds them dear for if he breaks them his life will be forfeit.

It is written that the master of the Halls must walk to the victim and may not run unless his life is in danger. He must also enter the building unarmed. 
Only 65 of the 665 callids have passed the test since these rules were introduced 44 years ago.

Number 666 was barely 16 years old yet The Master of the Halls had a feeling that this was the greatest challenge he had ever faced.

In the dim darkness of the Valkyrie the Master of the Halls sat staring at the data slate

"Xenos incursion force has taken hold of planetary headquarters. Their leader is to be annihilated. This mission must not fail"

The valkyrie levelled off and the pilots voice came over the intercom
"Sir we're at the coordinates you asked for just on the boarders of hostile space. When you give the word its jump pack descent"

The master of the halls slipped the data slate into the khaki pants next to the auspex and sighed loudly as he moved towards the hatch. He raised his fist to hit the button yet the vox crackled interrupting him

"your name sir" muttered the pilot

The Master of the Halls face contorted slightly at the impertinence

"I don't know"

"I mean your code name"

The Masters face lit up and he stretched back to memories of missions before he had become the Master of the Halls. He felt the jump back dig into his shoulders as he tightened the strap. 

"Deathbringer" he muttered as he hammered the button on the hatch. The winds roared and he allowed himself to fall forwards into the onrushing light that enveloped him bathing him in its glow and he allowed his mantra to fill his mind

"Death is inevitable. For you, it comes sooner than later for I am the deathbringer and I have never failed."


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## dark angel (Jun 11, 2008)

Apart from a few spelling mistakes its a good read


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## deathbringer (Feb 19, 2009)

He fell, allowing his back to arch gracefully as the wind pressed against his midriff. With a flick of his wrist he activated his jump pack and felt his descent slow as he soared above the clouds. The words of the data slate rang within his mind

_Your target is the ethereal Aut'san. He holds court within the great hall of Castivan. Infiltration will be initially easy due to the large numbers of renegade guardsman consorting with the tau. Problems will increase when you reach the palace itself. Only tau are permitted to enter. Though it has been proven that polymorphine will allow us to assume the shape of the tau the language is unfamiliar and an appropriate coder has not been developed. _

He soared high above the clouds and stared down upon the green fields and frowned as he saw an imperial guard jeep bouncing slowly across the fields, its balding occupents head lolling slowly as he succumbed to fatigue. In the distance the dark shape of a city loomed upon the horizon.

The deathbringer allowed himself to descend swooping like an angel from the sky to land upon his pray. The guardsman seemed to hear the rushing wind and turned struggling to reach the laspistol at his hip. Deathbringer's ice cold hands clasped around his throat and he threw the guardsman from the jeep, causing him to emit a grunt of pain as he crumpled and the laspistol skittered away from his clumsy fingers.

The deathbringer twisted in mid air and tossed away his jump pack as the guardsman squirmed towards his fallen pistol like a snake writhing upon his belly. The Callidus fell to earth landing knees bent upon the pistol as the guardsman's hand closed upon the hilt. A quick stamp broke the frail wrist and a howl pierced the air. The guardsman cowered as he stared up into the cold eyes of his assailant with manic desperation

"Why don't you have a weapon?"

The deathbringer cocked his head slightly yet his face remained dead 

"So I can pass through metal detectors. What's your name, rank and mission?"

"Elzan Vice. Private. Delivering ammunition supplies."

"Why didn't you try to escape?"

"They have the truck tracked, they would have killed me"

"Wrong answer" muttered the deathbringer. His hand fell in a smooth arc crushing the guardsman's trachea in a single powerful blow. He writhed upon the ground as he struggled for air, convulsing with spasms of suffocation as his eyes rolled upwards and he remained still. 

Slowly the deathbringer stripped the guardsman before stooping to pick up the laspistol. Ten minutes later he was driving along dressed in the guardsmans clothes whilst in the long grass a crow landed upon the chest of Private Elzan Vice and prepared to feast upon his flesh.

The sun beat down upon his forehead and caused sweat to cascade down his face. In the distance the city loomed like a dark smear upon the horizon and he felt his eyes drawn to it. He revved the engine and the city came into sharper focus. He saw two suited xenos checking in a small line of trucks and he unholstered the pistol clicking back the hammer as they came into focus. He saw the weakened armour at the neck and the hefty rifles and he quickly rehearsed the move, Pistol up, Left, Right. Hit the gas. Two shots. Two kills. Easy escape.

He eased off the pedal behind a truck full of guard troops. They looked lethargic and defeated, their spirit crushed by the overwhelming force used in the capture of their world. The deathbringer smiled, it was time to fight back. The tau at the gate looked in the back of the truck and the deathbringer smiled.
"Just delivering ammo to the front line" he called and the tau nodded

A drone by his side emitted a metallic beeping before clipping out the xenos words in a dull dreary monotone. 
"Park on the left. Check in with Sergeant Wilson"
Deathbringer nodded before easing the truck forward and turning left towards the parking area.He saw a small side alley to his right and he eased the jeep into it out of sight. He slipped from the truck and checked the data slate. According to arial surveillance he was a mile out in a dead end alley. Ahead of him was a solid wall of crumbling brick blocked his path to the main road that would lead him to the palace. 

He jumped up clawing at the wall griping with his hands. He looked to his left and saw a solid hold and he moved his hand upwards towards it. He reached out desperately as his feet slid away and he clung by his nails to a gap in the bricks, twisting his abdomen to gain a small amount of momentum he flung his legs upward towards a second hold. His foot lodged in the gap and he twisted once more levering himself towards the top of the wall. He gripped it with powerful hands and allowed his foot to dangle as he pulled his head over the wall and saw a tau standing at the end of the alley as the traffic of the main road streamed by. 

He saw tau transports and imperial goods vehicles hurrying along the dusty street and the tau warrior followed them with casual interest, his neck twisting to keep them in view. The deathbringer gripped the wall and placed his feet flat upon. They slipped slightly and he struggled to regain his purchase upon the wall. Gradually he steadied himself before pushing off using his hands as a pivot he flipped over the wall twisting and spiralling to land 10 feet behind the tau. He crouched out of sight behind his legs waiting for a gap in the traffic. He heard a squeal of breaks and saw the tau bend to scratch his ankle. 

His hand never reached as the deathbringer kicked out to pull his legs from underneath him. His rifle span away as he fell and the deathbringer dragged him into the shadows of the alley. Their was a small cry and a snap as the assassin broke his neck with a subtle twist. The Callidus drew a syringe from his pocket and plunged it into the exposed neck of the small warrior, drawing several fluids from the jugular vein. The contents mixed with an enzyme frothing to become a ghostly green mixture that emitted and effervescent sheen of steam. Without comment the deathbringer reversed the polymorphine syringe and plunged it into his right wrist. He depressed the plunger with ceremonial care and gasped as convulsions racked his body.

His skin burned with a seering agony is it turned a greyish stretching over his stocky frame. He felt his muscles shrinking as his bones stretched 3 inches. The agony reached a crescendo and a scream built in his throat. Desperately he supressed it as the pain reached its peak before dying away.

Quickly he dressed in the tau's armour. As he picked up the helmet he caught a glimpse of his reflection. His skin was grey and his eyes had transmogrified from green to hazel. He shook himself slightly and clipped the helmet on before raising the strange weapon of the tau. He pulled the trigger and a burst of light exploded upon the wall. The deathbringer smiled before turning out of the alley and onto the main road. Very soon he was lost in the crowd of guardsman and fire warriors that lined the streets, returning their salutes but carefully studying the palace. 

Its domed roof loomed before him and he felt distinctly uneasy as he saw gun turrets emerging from windows covering the walls that were ringed with barbed wire. It was a formidable display of power and the deathbringer walked on searching for the weakness. He reached the palace gates and carried on walking the pulse carbine dangling limply at his side.

60 years of experience was his only weapon yet he was the deathbringer and someone needed to be killed.


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