SethWolf

Madius beheld it all. Propped up against a broken pillar, he watched his Praetorian’s wrath unleashed.

‘Your pretty wall is broken, Rogal!’ Fulgrim declared. He lashed his blade into Dorn’s shield, and drew splinters. ‘Your famous fortress is undone! It-‘

Dorn’s blow knocked the next words out of his mouth. Fulgrim stumbled. Dorn’s greatsword tore into his ribs. Fulgrim struck back, but found only shield again.

‘You are a man in a broken tower!’ Fulgrim taunted, and spat out blood. ‘You stand so proud, and so defiant, ignoring the fact the tower is falling around you! It will-‘

Another blow. Fulgrim staggered away, then spun, head lowered, hair billowing, keeping his distance. Dorn lunged anyway, driving his shield into body and face. Fulgrim threw him off, and leapt aside.

‘So silent, Rogal,’ he crooned. ‘No words of denial? No pleading for me to change my foolish ways and come back to you? You can tell me it’s not too late. You can promise me sweet forgiveness-‘

Dorn blocked into him, broke his guard with his shield, buried his blade in Fulgrim’s shoulder meat, then body-smashed him across the platform.

‘Deeds are my words,’ Dorn said.

Fulgrim nodded, and spat blood again.

‘Always,’ he agreed, licking blood off his teeth. ‘You were never the wit. Never one for fine conversation. Just hard at work and-‘ Dorn broke his guard again with another lunge, carving a chunk of plate from Fulgrim’s flank. Fulgrim surged, and hammered out nine rapid blows, each one a master kill-stroke. Dorn blocked each one. Their blades flew, ringing against each other, drawing sparks.

Fulgrim danced backwards. Dorn advanced. Fulgrim wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and smeared blood across his cheek.

‘Are you really not going to try and convince me,’ asked Fulgrim, ‘that I have made a mistake? Talk me back into the fold, where I can make amends?’

Dorn surged, and threw two rapid blows that Fulgrim only blocked with effort.

‘No,’ said Dorn. He struck again, a low slice that Fulgrim parried, then a high back-cut that tore through Fulgrim’s gorget, and scattered broken rings of golden mail.

‘I’m just going to kill you.'