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« on: Apr 08, 2009, 09:16:19 PM »
Part two:
Tarshek grabbed his bolter and gladius, and slung them on the side of his bike. His bike had been given to him when-he-still-belonged by Varek Khaled. It had been a parting gift, and had been given to him in secret. No one had been allowed to help him for he was a traitor, or so he was called.
Tarshek used his bike often. He seldom left it when he hunted and always used it when traveling. It was a silent and fast vehicle, capable of going 210 kilometres in a half-hour. It was also quiet rugged, and able to go through mud, snow, ice, and even the acid rivers that ran all across the country-side. His bike was essential to his survival.
Tarshek didn't wear his helmet. The Coreth were large creatures, and he could easily see them. It was even easier to hunt them without his helmet because they always ran in large herds, making for easy prey.
As Tarshek lifted himself onto his bike, he kicked the ground to see how damp it was. If the ground was damp, then the Coreth would be likely to make large hoofprints, which would help Tarshek to track them. If the ground was hard and dry, it would be easier to drive, but it would be harder to track the Coreth. The ground was dry.
Tarshek hit the ignition switch, and with a soft rumble, the engine turned on. Tarshek switched on the built in auspex of the bike. Small green blips on the screen designated all the living creatures within a square mile. There were 23 excluding himself. Tarshek breathed in and then hit the gas peddle. With a slight squeel from the engine, the bike sped off.
Tarshek felt the cold morning air hit his face as he sped along. He knew that as soon as he was close to the Coreth herd, the air would become warmer. The Coreth emitted much heat from their bodies. It was there defence mechanism against the smaller, cold blooded predators that roamed the land, who couldn't get to warm or they would die. Of course, the heat didn't bother Tarshek, in fact, it gave him a rush of adrenaline. Knowing that Tarshek would kill once again was extremely exiting to him.
Tarshek looked down to his auspex. More blips had appeared on the screen, this time in a large pack. They were the Coreth, which told Tarshek that he was getting closer to his prey.
As Tarshek got closer to the pack of blips, he saw that they weren't moving. He decided that they were drinking water at one of the many watering holes, but he didn't feel any heat.
Tarshek drove to a small group of boulders near a hill. He got off the bike and took his bolter and gladius out of their holsters. He slowly approached the boulders and crouched beside them. He sniffed the air to smell the scent of the Coreth. He did not smell their scent, but he smelt ash and smoke.
Tarshek climbed the hill and lay down on his stomach. He peered over the hill crest. Laying before his eyes were two dozen dead Coreth and an ashen wasteland. There was nothing left of the once fertile watering hole that had once been in that location. All of it had been burnt to the ground. The Coreth were all dead, killed by what, Tarshek did not know.
Tarshek walked down the hill to where the animals lay dead. He knelt beside one of the Coreth and observed it's body for any sign of a wound. There were no claw marks, no inscision points, only a hole in the creature's neck. He looked more closely at the wound and saw a small metal object lodged in the wound. He carefully pulled it out. It was the size of his index finger and made of iron. He wiped the blood away from it and observed it closely. As he turned it in his hand he saw a symbol edged into the side of the object. It was an aquila, the symbol of the Imperium.
Tarshek stood up and smelt the air once again. The air smelt of narthecium, a substance used in most Imperial class flamers.
Tarshek realised suddenly that he was not alone. He saw shadows being cast in the edges of his eyes. He quickly drew his bolter and fired two shots at one of the approaching beings. It's head disappeared in a cloud of flesh and blood, and a large hole was made in it's stomach. The being was a human, and wore armour typically found in the Imperial Guard.
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