MTLNOVEL Chapter 19: chapter 19
Chapter 19: Blood of Calth
The Blood Museum, once a landmark on the planet Kos, had lost its former splendor. War had left it covered in dust and ruin.
The smooth stone walls, which once reflected light beautifully, were now riddled with bullet holes and scorched by fire and explosions.
Surviving civilians, members of the Mortal Auxiliary Forces, and Skitarii from the Mechanicus had gathered here after receiving a distress signal. With solid underground bunkers and void shield generators, the area was temporarily safe. However, "temporarily" was the key word—orbital bombardments had yet to reach them, and enemy Titan war machines were still bogged down in battle.
The thunder of artillery never ceased. The Word Bearers and their mortal auxiliaries launched relentless assaults to eliminate this stronghold, but their advance was held in check by the determined remnants of the Ultramarines.
Thanks to advance warning, Ventanus had managed to rally around seven hundred of his battle-brothers. Their original company had suffered heavy losses during the Word Bearers' ambush, but many Ultramarines had survived and regrouped. Now, they were conducting guerrilla warfare in the ruined city, striking back at their foes.
Taking refuge inside the Universal Museum meant certain death. Ventanus knew that only by staying mobile could they avoid destruction by heavy firepower and Titan attacks.
Enemy artillery constantly pursued his squad. Explosions from heavy vehicles tore apart warehouses and shops, reducing them to flaming wreckage. The entire city was turning into a battlefield of rubble and ashes.
A team of twenty Space Marines moved through concrete tunnels, stepping over countless corpses—mostly civilians.
Ordinary people were too fragile in a war like this.
Those who had instinctively sought shelter underground were still doomed. The sheer force of high-energy weapons meant even the shockwaves were enough to kill them. Many bodies lay with blood seeping from their mouths and noses. Some were so bloated with trapped gases that a light touch made them quiver, like waterlogged cloth.
Others, burned alive or suffocated, bore expressions of agony. Their final moments had been spent clawing at their own faces in desperation.
Ventanus gazed silently at the fallen people of Kos. Among them were auxiliary troops—and even some Ultramarines.
Their once-glorious cobalt blue power armor was in tatters. Some pieces had fallen off, scattered in pools of blood and mud. Some of the warriors had been hacked apart, their remains desecrated in unspeakable ways.
The Word Bearers had stripped them of their armor, skinned them, bound them in steel chains for dark rituals, or nailed them to pillars, carving blasphemous curses into their flesh. Even the dead had been violated.
"May your souls return to the Golden Throne, battle-brothers."
The Astartes did not fear death—but betrayal and defilement like this filled them with fury.
The Word Bearers had not only betrayed their oaths but had twisted the very ideals of the Imperium, discarding all morality.
Ventanus wiped away a bloody eight-pointed star—one of Chaos' vile symbols—smeared onto a nearby wall. The sight of such corruption made his very being recoil in disgust.
The city was suffocating in the fog of war. The haze was not just smoke from burning buildings but also a gelatinous mist—moisture rapidly evaporated by energy weapons.
Visibility was low. Light sources became nothing but hazy halos.
Emerging from the tunnel, Ventanus and his squad encountered six Word Bearers. Both sides reacted instantly, launching into brutal combat.
A grenade launched from a nearby factory crane struck Brother Atani's helmet. Half of his head was obliterated, and his body collapsed limply.
Ventanus fired several explosive rounds in the direction of the attack. A heavy thud followed—the enemy had fallen. Silence returned.
Two Word Bearers in crimson armor attempted to flank them but were spotted. Close-quarters combat erupted. An Ultramarine wielding a power hammer swung his weapon, knocking aside an enemy chainsword before delivering a crushing blow to the traitor's chest. The impact shattered ribs and spine, sending the Word Bearer rolling across the battlefield.
Another Ultramarine, armed with an autocannon—a weapon normally mounted on vehicles—unleashed a devastating barrage, turning a traitor into a shredded husk.
Despite their skill, the Loyalists were outnumbered and outgunned. A Land Raider emerged from the ruins, its heavy weapons locking onto them.
The Ultramarines spread out, minimizing the impact of the impending barrage. They fired grenades at the weak points of its armor, but the damage was minimal.
They retreated, luring the Land Raider into a nearby warehouse. Once inside, they planted high-energy charges along the walls.
With a deafening explosion, the entire building collapsed, burying the massive war machine beneath tons of rubble.
But the Land Raider was not so easily destroyed.
With sheer mechanical force, it pushed through the wreckage, its weapons primed to fire.
Suddenly, a blinding light pierced the fog. Ultra-high temperatures engulfed the Land Raider, and molten plasma sliced through its thick armor. The pilot inside was incinerated instantly.
Beams of green energy followed, cutting through the remaining Word Bearers.
Reinforcements had arrived.
A battalion of Mechanicus Skitarii—modified soldiers emitting dangerous levels of radiation—had joined the fight, led by a towering veteran.
"Aluxerotide, Skitarii of Calth."
"Ventanus, Captain of the Fourth Company."
"We've been hunting these Word Bearers. We caught up with them after they engaged you," said Arhra. "We have strong firepower, but our energy is limited. We need resupply."
"Follow me," Ventanus ordered. "We have supplies at the Universal Museum base. We need to move now."
With that, the battle-weary warriors prepared to withdraw, regroup, and strike again.