Warhammer: The 11th Primarch - The Black Emperor

As a true son of Fenris, Jorin's hunting party was the first to find the tribe under attack by frost trolls.

Two kilometers from the camp, riding atop his Thunderwolf, Jorin's eyes burned with fury as he watched the trolls rampage.

Their massive right arms swung whole trees like clubs, smashing huts to splinters, while their left hands snatched up Fenrisians and tossed them into their gaping maws.

Jorin's vision turned red with rage. In the battle-tongue Wurgen, he roared to his warriors:

"Hunters of Fenris! Wolves of the Wolf King!"

"The Ice Trolls invade our lands and feast upon our kin!"

"Today, we slay them and claim victory in the hunt!"

The "pack" howled in reply, banging their weapons on their shields:

"Kill the Ice Trolls! Win the Hunt!"

Jorin spurred his thunderwolf forward.

The beast burst from the ridge, charged, then leapt at the back of one of the trolls.

Jorin raised his axe with both hands and swung it down onto the troll's back. The blade sank in deep but was caught by the troll's thick, chitinous hide, like armor made of ice.

Six other warriors followed close behind, roaring as they attacked the troll's legs from both sides and behind.

Their steel swords struck its flesh with metallic clangs.

"ROAR!"

The Ice Troll bellowed and swung its tree in a wild arc.

The "pack" rolled to dodge, and six more Fenrisians rushed in from the front, launching a coordinated charge. They attacked the troll's knees with hammers and swords.

The troll staggered, nearly falling, only staying upright by leaning on its tree.

Jorin commanded the "pack" to keep attacking.

The heavy-bodied troll swung again and again, but the cunning "pack" worked together, some distracting, others striking.

After several rounds, none of the Fenrisians had been injured, while the troll's legs were covered in wounds, blue, foul-smelling blood freezing into icicles on the ground.

The Ice Troll, with some intelligence, realized it was being played, and let out a savage, beast-like roar.

Nearby trolls heard the call. Like enraged bulls, they smashed through the Fenrisians and charged over.

"Lure them away!" Jorin shouted.

While the pack diverted the others, Jorin drove his thunderwolf into a leap.

With a furious roar, he swung his axe at the wounded troll's back.

BOOM!

The giant Ice Troll collapsed into a crater in the ice. As it fell, Jorin shouted:

"By order of the Wolf King, I have come to aid you. Join me and slay these trolls!"

Fenrisians gathered around Jorin, rallying under the renowned warrior to drive back the invaders.

Meanwhile, far away, Sanchez had finally located the tribe under attack by the Ice Trolls.

He and the "Hunters" reached a high ridge and surveyed the battle below.

Sanchez saw that Jorin and his warriors had the upper hand, over a hundred Fenrisians against just nine remaining Ice Trolls.

He didn't rush in. Instead, he studied every detail, positioning, enemy strength…

He quickly simulated the battle and relayed his thoughts to the "Hunters":

"Father told me Ice Trolls have some intelligence. If the battle turns against them, they'll try to flee."

"Jorin is attacking from the southeast. If the Ice Troll King flees, he'll likely head northwest."

He pointed at six of the Hunters:

"You, with me, ambush them to the northwest."

To another six: "There's a smaller chance they'll flee north or west, set ambushes there."

'Jorin, last time you tried to steal my prey. This time, it's my turn.'

The Shadows of Order moved into position as instructed.

Moments later, another troll fell with a crash.

Then the Ice Troll King, a head taller than the rest, roared and charged, swatting two Fenrisians aside with its massive tree.

The other trolls followed its lead, running for their lives.

Fenrisians scrambled to block them. Jorin saw the trolls escaping and shouted:

"Stop them!"

Brave Fenrisians obeyed, hurling themselves at the charging trolls.

But trolls in full sprint were like locomotives, unstoppable. Several warriors were thrown into the air, their bodies tumbling across the ice.

Their sacrifice bought Jorin time. He and his thunderwolf caught up with the Troll King and leapt.

He knew he had only one chance.

He poured all his rage and shame into that strike, raising his axe and swinging for the beast's heart.

The Troll King sensed the danger and twisted slightly, causing the axe to miss its mark, only grazing the edge of its heart.

Roaring in pain, the Troll King hurled its tree backward.

Jorin, elite among Fenrisians, second only to the Wolf King, knew the moment he struck that he hadn't killed the beast.

He prepared for a second strike, but the tree came too fast.

He twisted, landing another blow to the troll's back, but was still hit.

He was sent flying, crashing to the ground, feeling as if his body were broken apart.

He watched in despair as the Troll King fled the battlefield.

The creature sprinted toward the forest beyond the camp.

But just as it neared the trees, seven figures burst forth from the woods.

Sanchez had been watching and had no intention of letting the Fenrisians steal his prey.

With "Warp Insight," the Shadow of Order pinpointed the troll's weak spot.

He activated his runes, spurred his mount forward, and narrowly dodged a crushing blow from the troll's right fist.

The thunderwolf bit into the Troll King's chest. Sanchez used the momentum, springboarding off his mount.

He flipped mid-air, evaded the troll's left punch, and brought his sword down with precision.

Using Otsber-Vaya Form 17, he struck the exact wound Jorin had made earlier.

A blue disintegration field bloomed from the wound, tearing the troll's heart apart.

Jorin stumbled out of the camp, bloodied and broken, fists clenched in bitterness.

"I lost again…"

Sanchez returned with the Fenrisians. At first, the rescued tribe cheered, overjoyed to see the Wolf King's envoy.

But as word spread that Jorin had lost all three hunts to an outsider, even the Fenrisians fell into sullen silence.

Those waiting for Jorin saw the returning party's downcast expressions and guessed the result.

Leman Russ furrowed his brow, eyes thoughtful.

After a moment, he relaxed his expression and addressed Jorin:

"Congratulations on winning all three hunting duels."

"You've defeated the finest hunter Fenris has to offer."

"I now gift you this sword."

He drew the shorter of the two swords at his waist.

"This blade was forged from the beak of the Gorgon King I once hunted, crafted for me by the Iron Priests."

"It is yours now."

The "Provoker" accepted the sword with both hands and felt something dissolve within him.

Before he could react, the Wolf King continued:

"But this sword does not yet fully belong to you. How long you keep it… will depend on your strength."

"After Jorin and the others are transformed, they will challenge you again, this time, in the stars. Win that hunt, or lose the sword."

The Fenrisians' gloom turned instantly into burning motivation.

Jorin shouted: "I will challenge you again! And next time, I'll win!"

The Shadow of Order felt the charged emotions swirling around him and thought to himself:

'Just as the Father said... the Wolf King is using me as a whetstone, to sharpen Fenrisian steel.'

Emboldened by the primarch's words, the "Provoker" raised his head and declared:

"If it's mine, no one can take it."

"I will always be the one who wins!"

The Fenrisians' eyes filled with fire, and the "Provoker" felt a star shatter inside him.

'I've become the true full-fledged Provoker.'

Five Fenrisian days after the end of the Hunt, Nareth received a message:

Horus's fleet had entered the Fenris System.

He was summoned aboard the Bucephalus.

..

If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.

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