The Battle that starts a Journey

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This is more for the Inquisition, as they wanted some proof of my writing skill before I join properly.

Part One

As the group entered the clearing Jules could see that it was an easily defendable position. The clearing was about 200 strides wide, and had rocks scattered all around. Aldred gave the order to set up camp in the centre of the clearing, where they could see anything that tried to attack them. All of the men in the party set to work with a purposeful step, and soon a large tent had arisen, and was surrounded by numerous smaller tents, which were for the retainers of the Witch Hunter.

Soon the air was alive with the general hustle and bustle of all of the camps that had ever been set up. As Jules walked towards Aldred’s larger tent he was, once again, stunned at how quickly the camp had sprung into being. Some of the retainers had even brought out a moveable wooden palisade, and were busy setting it up all the way around the camp. Jules swept his gaze across the tree line and could see numerous trappers, who Aldred had hired as guides, setting up booby traps along the clearings edge. The organisation behind this camp impressed Jules, but it would, the organisation was his best friend.

One of the guards outside the witch Hunters tent pulled open the tent flap upon Jules’ approach. As he entered, Jules noticed an audible drop in the amount of noise even though the tent wall was only thin.

“Ah, Jules. Welcome to my command tent. Are you here to continue your training, or is it something else?” Said the large figure lounging in a chair at the other end of the tent.

“I’ve come to continue my training, Aldred. I need to be ready for when we reach the Inquisition HQ. Last time we were talking about the different Orders. We had got up to the Ordo Heretica.” Jules replied to his friend as he made his way to one of the seats situated near the Witch Hunter.

“Ah yes, the Ordo Heretica. This is the Order that all of those who wish to become Witch Hunters begin. When we reach Inquisition HQ you will be assigned to an Inquisitor from this order. You will at first be an Initiate, and then you may be promoted to Acolyte if you prove yourself worthy enough. After being an Acolyte you may be promoted to an Arbiter, and from there you pass through the various stages of Inquisitor, which I have already explained to you.”

“So that makes the Ordo Administratum, made up of Scholars, Wizards and the like who back up the other Orders and organise the HQ. And the Ordo Hereticus, where every Inquisitor starts out.”

“Well done, your memory is good and that should help in the trials that you may face to be promoted through the ranks of the Inquisition. Now, the two Orders that I have told you about are not the only ones that there are. Do you know the names of either of the others?” As Jules shook his head Aldred continued, “Of the two others the first that I will tell you about is the Ordo Necros, and they specialise in fighting the undead…”

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Part Two

They were still talking when they heard the shouting of the men, and the bestial roars of pain coming from around the camp. Pulling out their weapons, Jules and Aldred charged out of the tent. Jules could see beastmen emerging from the surrounding forest. Some were stuck, mutilated or dead around the edge of the forest, victim to the trapper’s traps. The rest were roaring and chanting in their own bestial tongue.

“Looks like we have some company, Aldred. Lets greet them in the traditional Inquisition way.”

“Right the lads, form up around me and show these beastmen true Imperial steel, except for those with ranged weapons, that would be stupid.” Smiling, Aldred drew his pistols and began firing at the oncoming horde of beastmen. The beastmen were so grouped up that every shot found a mark somewhere.

There was a loud ‘crack’ as the rest of the bodyguards with ranged weapons opened up on the bestial horde. Shot from handguns and pistols tore chunks of flesh and muscle from the beastmen, incapacitating many of the enemy. Arrows found their marks in eyes, chests and heads. Thrown weapons would knock beastmen backwards into their friends; they were thrown with such force.

But these deaths were but a drop in the ocean of the bestial horde. More and more beastmen poured into the clearing, many being impaled on the wooden spikes of the palisade.

Jules decided to help in the missile barrage and reached into his pocket. As he withdrew his hand it clutched a large black ball, a bomb.

“What in Sigmars Holy name is that?” Asked Aldred.

“It was a present that I received from a Dwarfish Engineer, as a thanks for saving his life during my mercenary days,” Replied Jules.

“Yes, but what does it actually do? How does it help us at this precise time and place?” Aldred continued to stare at the bomb, as he quizzed his friend.

“You’ll see in a minute,” said Jules, pulling a pin from the top of the device and throwing it at the beastmen, who had got stuck on the wooden spikes.

After four heartbeats there was a large explosion and, a few seconds later, bits of deceased beastmen rained down from the heavens.

“That’s what it does? You don’t have any more of those things do you?” Aldred asked as he looked around at the devastation that the bomb had managed to cause.

“Unfortunately no, that was the last one that I had. But it was good to watch, wasn’t it?” Seeing the look that his friend gave him he added, “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing, nothing. Now draw your weapons again, in case they break through the palisade. Ranged fighters, keep firing!” Aldred shouted and, putting actions to words, re-started firing with his pistols.

Now that the beastmen had stopped pouring into the clearing, the bodyguards with ranged weapons were starting to tell. The beastmen’s leader could now be seen as well. Standing a head taller than all of the rest it was bellowing orders left right and centre.

Now the beastmen had started to attack the palisade with axes and swords, trying to smash the wall aside…

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Part Three

After about ten minutes there was a sudden crash, and a section of the palisade gave in, and the beastmen began to charge through the new gap. Aldred began to holster his pistols, but Jules was quicker and ran off with a group of bodyguards to fight off the attackers. Aldred shrugged and continued to fire a continuous stream of lead at the beastmen outside the palisade.

With a dagger in each hand Jules charged in to the fray alongside the bodyguards that had followed him. His first opponent came in with a downward sweep, easily dodged. Then Jules jabbed upwards into the beastman’s jugular, showering all of those around with blood. Jules moved on. Another beastman attacked, with another downward swing. This time there wasn’t any space to dodge, so Jules blocked, being forced downwards to one knee by the beastman’s superior strength. Forcing his way back onto two feet, Jules brought his knee up into the beastmen’s groin. The beast doubled over, and Jules used the distraction to cover his enemy in nicks and cuts, before jabbing into its heart.

Looking around, Jules could see another section of wall collapse, and a charge, led by the leader, came pouring through. Jules watched Aldred charge with the remainder of the bodyguards. The bodyguards with Jules were finishing off the opponents from that assault, so Jules decided to go to help Aldred.

Jules ran towards his friend, watched as the beastmen leader blindsided him as he fought against a smaller beastman. Jules just stood there, dumbstruck as his friend’s neck was separated from his body, spraying the area with blood. Jules watched as the beastman leader picked up Aldred’s head and lifted it aloft as a trophy, and it was this that drove him to the extreme berserk rage that followed...

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Part Four

A red rage descended on Jules and he charged, shouting an incomprehensible war cry as he did. Aiming for the beastman that had killed Aldred, Jules just maimed and incapacitated those that were in his path. The remaining bodyguards, who had lost heart when their leader had fallen, took a leaf out of Jules’ book and began fighting like daemons. They began to force the beastmen back by sheer ferocity. Now the beastmen were beginning to falter.

Jules acknowledged none of this, as he fought his way towards Aldred’s killer. Along the way he took dozens of nicks and scrapes, but they were ignored as though they hadn’t happened. The two opponents, a berserk human and a huge beastman leader, faced each other for long moments, before the beastman lashed out. Such was the force of the blow that the knife that blocked was knocked out of Jules’ hand. This didn’t even registered as Jules struck back, evading his opponent’s guard and spearing the beast’s groin. The beast winced, but lashed out, catching Jules off-guard and carving a large ‘X’ on his face.

That wound registered, and Jules roared with both rage and pain, then ripped his longsword from its scabbard on his back. Jules swung and weapons locked. Smiling evilly, Jules kicked the dagger that was already embedded in the beastman’s groin. This time the beastman folded at the waist, and Jules cut off its hands. Then Jules severed the beast’s neck with one blow from his sword.

Jules then staggered over to where his friend’s body lay and collapsed due to the extent of his wounds and from sheer exhaustion. Then he gladly slipped into the grip of unconsciousness.

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color=yellow]Part Five[/color]

When Jules re-awoke the first thing that he noticed was the smell of burnt flesh, and then saw that he was wearing Aldred’s armour and had his pistols. Looking around Jules could see that he was inside Aldred’s tent, but he couldn’t see Aldred, which was odd. Then it all came back, the attack, his friend’s death, avenging his friend’s death. Just thinking about the beastmen caused Jules to snarl with barely controlled fury. Doing so was a bad idea, however, as the cut on his face began to throb painfully.

Once Jules had managed to regain some coordination and had managed to stand up he staggered over to the entrance of the tent, and stepped out. He was greeted by a cheer from the bodyguards.

Jules turned to one of the bodyguards, “Where is the head of the beastman leader?”

“Er…over there,” replied the guard, pointing.

Jules began to make his way over to where the guard had pointed, ignoring all of the funny looks that some of the guards were giving him at such an odd request. Picking up the head, Jules silently vowed to avenge his friend and mentor by killing and killing heretics, beastmen and any other scum that serve chaos. Jules also vowed to keep the skulls of any worthy adversaries, or ay foe that he fought in one on one combat. It was here that his steely determination to follow in his friend’s footsteps was born; it was in this moment that he truly became a Witch Hunter.

Turning around and raising the beastman’s head above his own, Jules shouted, “We will continue to Inquisition HQ, taking Aldred’s body and his head with us for a proper burial. I will join the Inquisition, and continue Aldred’s work. Once I strike out on my own as a Witch Hunter there will be jobs for all of you, if you need them, as you have all fought valiantly on this day.”

And that was the end of one persons era and the beginning of another. Though Jules can still vividly remember the day that his friend died, now it only makes him stronger.



And here my story ends, but I may continue it if people wish me to. Any of the Inquisition can now post about this story, as can anyone else who feels like it.