Xavier Von Borsch strode forcefully through the meager camp. All around him men were rushing to and fro, here and there sergeants barked orders occasionally striking a slackered who didn't respond to instructions fast enough. Xavier was an imposing figure even amongst his comrades in the reiksguard, he stood well over six feet tall and his armor was immaculately polished. Normally he would draw stares of admiration and envy from the state soldiers but in their frantic state they barely noticed him.

Xavier could guess the cause of the all the haste; the chaos incursion was obviously closer than he'd been informed. Up ahead he could see the tent of Reiks General Horring. As he approached he could see the general inside issuing orders to a courier. The general was a battle scarred veteran who had spent years serving in the west fighting green skins, his short-cropped dark hair was beginning to show patches of gray betraying his age.

The general smiled at Xavier as he entered the tent;"greetings Captain Borsch I don't suppose the emperor has sent an army with you".

"I'm sorry general" Xavier replied," but Count Clauste's army is at least two days march away, I led my squadron ahead to assist you with any preparations but I suspect from the mood of the camp that the time for preparations is over".

The general grinned,"an astute observation captain come with me". The general led him to a large map stretched over the single table in the tent. The map showed the northern provinces of the empire including the sea of claws various marks on the map showed the locations of friendly and enemy forces, the general pointed to the sea of claws and began to speak.

" Ten days ago a sizable chaos force landed on the northern shore of ostland directly north of the Middle Mountains, being much larger than the usual raiding force the emperor logically concluded that the target of this force was middenheim. Forces from Ostland, Hochland and Talabecland were diverted to reinforce the city. Only when Kislev scouts reported the chaos forces moving east of the Middle Mountains into the forest of shadows did the emperor realize his error".

Xavier already knew all his of course but he waited patiently while the general continued. "Count Raukov led what forces he had left to face them but his forces were crushed and scattered to the east. Now the incursion is on the outskirts of Wolfenburg and all I have to defend it with is the city garrison, and your squadron of reiksguard of course".

"General is there any chance of holding out in wolfenburg until count claustes reinforcements arrive?" Xavier asked.

"No captain," the General replied," Wolfenburg's fortifications are sparse at best, we didn't have time to erect the proper defenses before enemy forces arrived, they've shown up much faster than expected. Captain the task I have before me will certainly destroy my force but it is vital that we delay the enemy long enough to evacuate the city".

Xavier took one last look at the map then turned to face the general," sir you can certainly count on the Reiksguard to do their duty". Horring clasped Xaviers arm in a warrior's handshake, Xavier could tell from the look on his face that he was prepared to die for the empire and he expected the same of Xavier, "we can certainly use all the help we can get captain".

Lord Barrus sat atop his chaos steed in mute observation as his subordinates shouted commands forming the army into a battle line. Barrus couldn't be more pleased with himself; his plan had worked perfectly. His feint towards Middenheim had drawn a sizable imperial force to the west while he had turned his army east keeping the mountains between his army and any force strong enough to oppose him. He had crushed what little resistance he'd faced and now stood at the doorstep to Wolfenburg with only a paltry garrison to defend it. He would raze the city and return to the north before the weak emperor could do anything to stop him. When he returned to the northern wastes with his army intact and word of his exploits spread the forces of the north would flock to his banner then he could return for a true conquest.

As he looked toward Wolfenburg he could see men hastily manning their crudely formed battlements. He almost laughed, those fortifications wouldn't stand up to a mob of halflings much less an army of chaos undivided. The Ostlanders did have a nice piece of high ground to the right, which they had fortified with cannons and handgunners, but it didn't matter, he would throw his beastmen against the strongpoint. While they were occupied with the beastmen he would slaughter the rest of the army. Beastmen were only useful as cannon fodder anyway.

Turzon the marauder chieftain approached Barrus on a black steed; "Lord Barrus the preparations are complete". "Excellent replied Barrus", "let the slaughter begin".

Xavier tried to catch his breath as his Reiksguard reformed their battle line around him. The garrison had beaten back two successive waves of marauders but they were on the verge of collapse and the chaos forces hadn't even committed their best troops yet. On the left flank the artillery on the held had held its own but they were faced with a horde of beastmen and Xavier didn't know how long the could hold. If the hill fell the beastmen would have a direct route into the city and the citizens would be slaughtered. If the garrison could only hold out another hour or two the citizens could be safely evacuated through the mountain passes where the chaos army would have a difficult time pursuing.

The chaos army was already forming up for another assault. Xavier could see that they were sending in some of their elites. The marauders were now strengthened by two units of dark armored chaos warriors, there was a shambling monstrosity of writhing limbs and spiked appendages moving ahead of the army. Xavier shuddered at the sight of it. Straight ahead of him Xavier caught sight of a group of ogres dressed in rags and armed with spiked clubs. Xavier knew from past experience the damage they could cause. Xavier set his sights on what appeared to be their leader. Digging his spurs into his mount he gave the order to charge. As one the Reiksguard surged forward.

Barrus was not pleased with the progress of the battle. His first two waves had been driven back and his third wave was floundering. How this paltry garrison was managing to delay his victory he had no clue. It was time for him to take action. He had been scanning the for the enemies leader and now he had located him fighting a unit of chaos warriors. He sat atop an imperial warhorse striking left and right at the warriors. Barrus could distinctly make out the red plume on his helm that denoted his status as a Reiks General. Barrus spurred he steed and sped toward the general in a gallop. Borrus was almost on top of him before the general noticed his presence. He tried to wheel his horse around to defend himself but it was too late. The chaos lord swung his war axe and cleanly separated the general's head from his body. As the generals lifeless body slumped from the saddle Borrus could see the looks of horror on the imperial troops faces, their confidence beginning to waver. Victory would soon be his.

Xavier reformed what was left of his Reiksguard. He had lost a third of his men in the combat with the ogres but they had managed to drive them off. Looking back along the imperial line Xavier could see that chaos forces had broken through in several places. The remainder of the garrison was being forced back and a route was inevitable.

The boom of cannon fire drew his attention to the hill on the left flank. The artillery was still holding out. If his Reiksguard could delay the chaos advance in the center there might still be a chance for the citizens of Wolfenburg. Then Xavier heard a sound the made his blood grow cold.

Warhorns coming from beyond the left flank were announcing the arrival of another force. The sounds of the horns intermingled into a low bass note that could be felt right down to the bones. Xavier had heard the sound several times during his time in the Reiksguard and he recognized it only too well. It was beastmen, but not the beastmen who had accompanied the chaos army from the north. These beastmen were native to the empire, there were tribes of them scattered throughout the country in dark forests and uninhabitable mountains. Xavier could just make them out forming on the chaos right. It was a huge force, undoubtedly all the local tribes had banded together to join with the chaos raiders. The beastmen in the chaos force were braying excitedly at the sight of their cousins. Xavier knew the combined force of the newly arrived beastmen and the remainder of the chaos armies beastmen would have no trouble overrunning the artillery on the hill, but to Xaviers surprise the newly arrived beastmen were not moving towards the hill, they were moving towards the chaos beastmen.

Barrus couldn't understand what was happening. Victory was within his grasp and then this treachery. When the native beastmen arrived his beastmen had begun to reform their lines to allow the new force an avenue of approach to the hill. But the newly arrived army didn't move towards the hill, they sent their chariots crash through his own beastmen who were still in the process of reforming. The results were catastrophic, his beastmen had scattered in every direction. The remainder of the native force had moved in to complete the slaughter and had charged right through into his warriors and marauders. The complete route of his beastmen had only taken minutes.

Borrus was shocked; he could not understand what was motivating these traitors. He had seen beastmen attack beastmen before, inter tribe rivalry was common, but to attack beastmen in the service of a chaos lord and then to attack the lord himself was unthinkable. Beastmen had always been the servants of chaos, Borrus had sacrificed thousands of them in battle and they had always obeyed without question.

Borrus's shock was quickly turning into rage. How dare they defy him, he was a lord of chaos undivided. He would find their leader and make him writhe in agony as an example to all of what happens to a dog who bites his master's hand.

Xavier rode down the imperial line overseeing the rebuilding of fortifications that had been destroyed in the assault. Since the death of General Horring command of the garrison had fallen to him. The garrison had been on the verge of collapse when the native beastmen force had attacked. The chaos army had pulled back and were now fighting for their lives against beastmen force. Xavier had no idea why the beastmen had attacked but he didn't have time to ponder it. He had to insure his defenses were rebuilt before the winner of the current clash turned their attention back towards Wolfenburg.

Borrus's army was being forced back everywhere. He and his bodyguards were virtually surrounded. His rage had had heated to a boiling point. Victory had been within his grasp and now all was lost, all because of these traitorous beastmen.

Borrus hacked furiously at the oncoming gors letting his anger take control of him and leaving a pile of bodies in his wake. His body guard were desperately trying to fend off the assault but were slowly being cut down. Just when it seemed that they would be overwhelmed the attack ceased. The beastmen were parting to allow a large hulking creature approach him. Barrus recognized this figure by its presence immediately; it was the leader of these traitors.

It stood head and shoulders above the gore around it and wore a great helm of tarnished brass. Eight great horns protruded from the helm, the lower six curved forward around the beasts face while the topmost curved back like giant scimitars though it was impossible to tell if the all the horns were the beasts or part of the helm. Its armor was a combination of leather and metal plates crudely stitched together and it carried an impossibly large axe, its battered blade a testament to past battles. Barrus felt nothing but contempt for this vile creature that had destroyed his army and was now challenging him on the field of battle in brash defiance of the will of the chaos gods.

Barrus stepped forward to accept the challenge and address the traitor," how dare you defy me. Do you know who I am? I am a lord of chaos undivided. I am the victor of a thousand battles. I answer to none but the gods themselves. And you; have you forgotten your place? Your kind exists to serve us. Your kind exists to perish in battle as I see fit. Ive sent thousands to their deaths without a second thought. You are servants and nothing more and now I shall send you to meet your brethren in hell".

The beast no gave no sign of acknowledgment as it was impossible for its face to display human emotion but it began to speak slowly as its deep voice struggled with the human words," your time is at an end. We follow your weak gods no more. Those that follow you shall die as you".

"You are a fool", Borrus replied, "you'll be hunted down like the animals you are, the worms will pick your bones clean and your souls will suffer eternal torment".

"We are the hunters now," said the beast, "your kind torment us no more. We will track you north and take the hearts of your living gods."

"You'll go nowhere!" yelled Barrus as he stepped forward; "you'll die here with your filthy brethren".

Borrus swung his axe in a wide arc aiming a killing blow at the beast's neck but the beast was incredibly quick for its size, stepping away from the strike, which only struck its armor. Barrus followed up his attack with a hail of strikes, seeking to overwhelm the beast. Blow after blow struck the beast, some being turned aside by its armor, others biting deep into its flesh but the beast stood resolute, seemingly unaffected by the gaping wounds it had received. Borrus struggled to catch his breath. His berserk assault had left him nearly exhausted. He looked in amazement at the beast still standing before him. How could the beast have survived? No living creature had ever survived an encounter with Barrus, and yet here this creature stood oblivious to the loss of blood and flesh. The creature had barely defended itself during the assault, simply fixing Borrus with a cold stare as if studying him. Now that same stare mocked Borrus as he tried to regain his composure.

"You cannot harm me." Said the beast, " You are weak and your gods have abandoned you."

The beast hoisted its massive axe and brought it straight down at Borrus's head. Borrus raised his shield in a futile attempt to parry the blow. The last sound Borrus heard was the massive blade cleaving through the air.

Xavier strolled the battlefield examining the dead. The loss of life had been massive. Most of the garrison who weren't wounded in the attack had been assigned to burning details. Several funeral pyres had already been started to dispatch the dead. Xavier knew that chaos raiders often brought bizarre diseases with them so the sooner they were cremated the better.

Xavier pondered what had happened during the battle. They had been on the verge of collapse, the citizens of wolfenburg were doomed, and then the beastmen had arrived. Xavier still couldn't understand why they had attacked the chaos force, their own kind even. The native population of beastmen had always flocked to join invading chaos raiders but this beastmen force had brazenly attacked and crushed the raiders.

Almost as shocking to Xavier as the beastmen attack on their northern masters was the size of the beastmen force. Xavier had never seen one so large. It consisted of at least a dozen tribes. Any chieftain that could unite that many gor was a serious threat to empire. But of course the chieftain hadn't attacked his force, they had pursued the remnants of the chaos raiders north towards the sea of claws.
The reinforcements of Count Clauste would arrive in the next day or so and then they could head north in pursuit of the beastmen, but until then Xavier had other matters to attend to. The remains of general Horring had to be sent to his birth town of bogenhoffen for a proper burial and there were numerous wounded to be taken care of. Within a week Xavier would be on the march again but on this night he would savor the miracle that had saved Wolfenburg.

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