Storm Of Iron(科幻战争)-第43章

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'Indeed　they　are；'　mused　Forrix；　staring　at　the　mountains　surrounding　the　plains。　'Almost　too　accurate；　wouldn't　you　say？'
'What　do　you　mean？'
'You　are　sure　you　killed　everyone　in　the　places　you　attacked　before　the　invasion？'
'Aye；'　snarled　Honsou；　'We　left　nothing　alive。'
Forrix　returned　his　gaze　to　the　mountains　and　sighed。
'I　think　you　are　mistaken；　Honsou。　I　believe　there　is　still　someone　out　there。'
Honsou　said　nothing　and　Forrix　continued。　'Send　Goran　Delau　back　to　the　places　you　attacked　and　if　there　are　any　signs　of
survivors；　have　them　hunted　down　and　killed。　We　cannot　afford　to　be　slowed　further　by　your　incompetence。'
Honsou　bit　back　an　angry　retort　and　simply　nodded　stiffly　before　marching　away。
THE　HEART　WAS　a　notoriously　hard　organ　to　burn；　but　the　blue　flames　curling　from　its　roasting　muscle　tissue　were　well　worth　the
effort　thought　Jharek　Kelmaur；　sorcerer　to　the　Warsmith　and　Wielder　of　the　Seven　Cryptical　Magicks。　The　darkness　of　his　tent
was　wreathed　in　ghostly　shadows　cast　by　the　burning　heart　and　moonlight　pooling　at　its　entrance。　He　rubbed　his　hands　across　his
tattooed　skull；　spreading　his　arms　before　the　blazing　organ。
Though　his　eyes　were　sewn　shut；　he　stared　into　the　flames；　seeing　spectral　images；　beyond　the　ken　of　mortal　sight。　They　flickered
in　and　out　of　focus　as　his　magicks　sought　to　shape　the　power　bestowed　by　this　latest　offering　into　a　useable　form。　He　opened　his
mind　to　the　glory　of　the　warp；　feeling　the　rush　of　power　and　fulfilment　that　came　each　time　he　communed　with　the　immaterium。
As　always　he　felt　the　scratching；　insistent　presence　of　innumerable　astral　beasts　that　clawed　at　any　intrusion　into　their　realm；　their
mindless　thrashings　drawn　by　his　presence。
Such　formless　phantoms　；　it　was　the　other；　mightier　creatures　that　lurked　in　the　haunted　depths　of
the　warp　that　were　of　more　concern。
He　felt　the　warp…spawned　energies　flow　through　him；　channelled　and　intensified　by　the　carven　sigils　on　his　gold　and　silver
armour。　Symbols　of　ancient　geomantic　significance　helped　contain　the　powerful　energies　he　drew　within　his　flesh；　and　though　his
physique　was　enhanced；　he　knew　that　the　power　he　was　tapping　could　destroy　him　in　an　instant　were　he　to　lose　control　of　it。
The　power　raced　along　his　fragile　nerve　endings；　dispersing　throughout　his　body　and　a　luminescent　green　fire　built　behind　his
eyes；　spilling　out　from　beneath　the　stitching；　and　gathering　like　emerald　tears　on　his　cheeks　before　billowing　out　in　a　noxious
cloud　of　glittering　fog。　The　fog　twisted　and　spiralled；　though　no　wind　disturbed　it；　coiling　from　his　mouth　and　eyes　before　slipping
around　his　shoulders　like　a　snake。
Questing　tendrils　of　green　light　slithered　from　the　sorcerer　and　waved　through　the　air　to　reach　into　the　flames　of　the　burning　heart；
Graham　McNeill　？Storm　of　Iron？
the　flames　hissing　and　sputtering　with　greater　ferocity　as　they　consumed　it。
Fleeting　images　flashed　before　Kelmaur's　eyes：　the　rock　of　Tor　Christo；　a　hidden　chamber　in　its　depths；　a　disc　of　bronze　that　shone
like　the　sun　and；　enfolding　it　all；　a　slowly　spinning　cog　wheel；　its　surface　cracked　and　blemished。　As　Kelmaur　watched；　the　cog
suddenly　erupted　with　brown；　necrotic　threads　of　rust；　each　one　spreading　rapidly　through　its　structure　until　it　crumbled　to　dust。
As　quickly　as　the　vision　had　appeared；　it　vanished；　to　be　replaced　with　one　of　a　spear　of　white　light　arcing　through　the　darkness；
its　brilliance　fading　as　it　travelled　before　it　was　in　turn　replaced　by　a　warrior　in　yellow　power　armour；　his　weapons　trained　directly
at　Kelmaur。　As　he　watched；　the　warrior　turned　his　weapon　towards　the　sorcerer　and　pulled　the　trigger；　the　barrel　exploding　in
brilliant　light。
Jharek　Kelmaur　screamed　and　collapsed　to　the　floor　of　his　tent；　blood　leaking　from　every　orifice　in　his　head；　and　pounding　pain
thundering　against　the　innards　of　his　skull。
He　groggily　pushed　himself　to　his　feet；　steadying　himself　against　the　iron　tent　pole。
He　moved　unsteadily　to　a　long；　cot　bed　and　sat　on　its　edge；　rubbing　the　heels　of　his　palms　against　his　inked　temples　and　taking
deep　breaths。　It　was　the　same　as　before；　but　with　each　passing　vision；　the　intensity　grew　stronger　and　he　knew　a　crucial　time　of
confluence　was　approaching。
He　had　to　divine　the　meaning　of　the　visions；　though　he　feared　he　knew　the　answer　to　the　second　apparition。　As　the　Iron　Warriors
had　attacked　the　spaceport；　he　had　sensed　a　psychic　signal　reach　out　from　the　planet；　too　quick　for　him　to　block；　yet　surely　too
weak　to　be　received　by　its　intended　recipients。　But　Kelmaur　was　afraid　that　others　may　have　heard　it；　and　if　they　grasped　its
significance；　might　already　be　on　their　way　to　this　planet　now。　He　had　not　told　the　Warsmith；　and　trusted　that　his　master's　warcaptains
would　be　able　to　complete　the　destruction　of　the　citadel　before　whatever　aid　was　coming　to　Hydra　Cordatus　arrived。　He
had　despatched　the　battle　barge　Stonebreaker　to　the　system's　distant　jump　point　to　lie　in　wait　for　any　would…be…rescuers；　but；
consumed　by　the　nagging　suspicion　he　was　already　too　late；　he　had　since　recalled　it。
His　cabal　of　acolytes　had　spoken　of　mind　whispers　on　the　planet　that　were　not　theirs；　and　how　this　could　be　was　a　mystery　to
Kelmaur。　It　would　take　great　cunning　to　have　evaded　detection　by　the　Stonebreaker；　but　then　it　wasn't　here；　was　it…　？　The　vast
cargo　ships　that　orbited　this　planet　ystical　surveyors　that　would　allow　them　to　detect　any　approaching
enemies。　Had　something　slipped　past　while　the　Stonebreaker　had　been　away？
And　if　so；　where　had　it　gone　and　what　had　it　done　in　the　intervening　time？
Paranoia；　his　constant　companion；　held　him　tight　in　its　grip　and　his　mind　was　alive　with　all　manner　of　fearsome　possibilities。
Should　he　tell　the　Warsmith　of　his　suspicions？　Should　he　deal　with　it　on　his　own？　Should　he　feign　ignorance？
None　of　the　options　were　particularly　appealing　and　Kelmaur　was　filled　with　a　dreadful　foreboding。　As　to　the　first　vision…　well；
that　he　was　more　sure　of。　He　turned　as　a　low　moan　sounded　behind　him。
He　smiled　grimly；　staring　into　the　face　of　Adept　Cycerin。
The　former　priest　of　the　Adeptus　Mechanicus　that　Kroeger　had　almost　killed　in　the　attack　on　the　spaceport　was　chained；　naked；　to
an　angled　trestle；　part　surgical　table　and　part　engineers'　workbench。　His　missing　hand　had　been　replaced　with　an　augmented　bionic
gauntlet；　its　pulsating　black　surface　daubed　with　ancient　symbols　of　power。　Encircling　the　wrist　was　a　broad；　spiked　bracelet　with
curved　talons　embedded　deep　in　the　flesh　above　the　gauntlet。　A　modified　form　of　the　Obliterators'　techno…virus　seeped　from　the
talons；　slowly　working　its　way　around　Cycerin's　body。　Eruptions　of　mecha…organic　components　appeared　all　over　his　flesh；　their
form　fluid；　yet　angular。　His　flesh　seethed　with　the　workings　of　the　virus　as　they　integrated　themselves　with　his　organic　matter。
Jharek　Kelmaur　smiled　humourlessly　and　rose　to　go　to　the　twitching　priest　of　the　Machine　God。
The　changes　wracking　his　body　must　have　been　painful；　but　the　adept's　face　gave　no　sign　of　it。　Instead　his　features　were　twisted　in
rapture　and　obscene　pleasure。
'Yes；'　whispered　Kelmaur。　'Feel　the　power　of　the　new　machine　fill　your　flesh。　You　have　great　work　ahead　of　you。'
Cycerin　opened　his　eye；　the　pupil　a　dilated　black；　its　internal　surfaces　alive　with　crawling；　newly…birthed　circuitry。　He　smiled　and
nodded　towards　the　pulsing　gauntlet。
'More；'　he　hissed。　'Give　me　more…'
THREE
ON　THE　TWENTIETH　day　of　the　siege　the　two　saps　driven　forward　from　the　first　parallel　were　linked　by　a　second　parallel；　some　six
hundred　metres　from　the　edge　of　the　ditch　protecting　the　walls　of　the　frontal　bastions。　This　was　well　within　the　range　of　the
unerringly　accurate　Imperial　gunners　and　thousands　of　lives　had　been　expended　to　complete　the　second　parallel；　but　the　Iron
Warriors　were　heedless　of　the　human　cost　of　such　endeavours。　All　that　mattered　was　that　the　Warsmith's　orders　were　obeyed。
The　second　parallel　stretched　from　the　ground　in　front　of　the　Vincare　bastion's　salient　to　that　before　the　tip　of　Mori　bastion。　The
second　parallel's　northern　face　was　piled　high　with　rammed　earth　and　revetted　with　iron　hoardings　to　ensure　that　it　could　withstand
artill