After forming an alliance with the gray prophet Dra'zhos, Khan Tamuk chose to station his army in an abandoned mine about thirty kilometers from Black Castle, beginning to fulfill the agreement with the Chaos Dwarfs.
Dra'zhos, the gray prophet, proposed three conditions for the alliance.
First, like the Unfaithful Sa'i, Dra'zhos demanded complete autonomy, meaning both parties were allies and Khan Tamuk was merely an alliance leader, not a commander. Tamuk agreed to this.
Second, Tamuk and his army were tasked with eliminating a tribe of dark orcs within the dark realm.
Third, the Chaos Dwarfs required Tamuk to assist them in dealing with a giant dragon residing deep within the dark realm—the Terror Dragon Omda.
To bring the Chaos Dwarfs into his camp, Tamuk chose to fully accept Dra'zhos's demands.
This was not due to Tamuk's foolishness or naivety but because the Nurgle's Chosen Champion could sense his time running out. His tribe had suffered heavy losses since leaving the Kurgan Steppe, with the prolonged expedition causing low morale, lack of supplies, and severely damaged weapons and armor, which the Chaos Dwarfs could compensate for.
Thus, Tamuk and his army settled in the dark realm for three months.
The first battle was a bloody conflict against the dark orc tribe. Leveraging their numerical advantage and Nurgle's blessings, Tamuk defeated the tribe. On the skeletal plains of the dark realm, Kurgan warriors launched a frenzied siege against the dark orc tribe. After extensive fighting and a hundred-kilometer pursuit, the tribe was completely annihilated. Tamuk and Dra'zhos reaped significant rewards from this battle, with countless slaves and spoils transported back to Black Castle by steam locomotives. In return, the forges of Black Castle worked tirelessly to produce a plethora of dark weapons for the Kurgan warriors, delivered by steam trains and beast-drawn supply wagons.
However, this aroused discontent from the Dauekhan tribe and the Unfaithful Sa'i. The cunning and deceitful chaos sorcerer felt Tamuk had betrayed their original expedition purpose—they were not there to serve as the Chaos Dwarfs' muscle.
Undoubtedly, Tamuk could challenge the Unfaithful Sa'i to a champion duel to decide leadership, but that would risk fracturing the entire army. After much deliberation, Tamuk decided to compromise with Sa'i. No one knew what they discussed in private, but afterward, Sa'i temporarily restrained his discontent, though the fragile alliance was already on the brink.
The subsequent battle further dampened the army's morale. The target was the Chaos Dwarfs' nemesis—the Terror Dragon Omda. After awakening, the dragon chose to rule a mountain in the dark realm and gathered a group of draconic and undead creatures. Tamuk knew he had to defeat Omda to secure the Chaos Dwarfs' full support. The war commenced on the skeletal plains, with both sides deploying all their forces.
The battle was brutal, with thousands of Chaos Dwarfs and Kurgan warriors perishing. The dragon, proficient in chaos magic, far surpassed Sa'i in magical prowess. Omda's chaos spells darkened the sky, turning day into night, then led its minions into Tamuk's army.
In the fierce fighting, many of Tamuk's loyal chaos champions and chosen warriors fell, including his toad dragon mount, severely wounded by Omda. Thanks to Nurgle's blessings, Tamuk withstood the attack. The Chaos Dwarfs' fireblade gunners and Sa'i's chaos sorcerers bombarded Omda, forcing it to retreat and abandon its territory.
Having fulfilled his promise, the Chaos Dwarfs honored their end of the bargain. The demon forge in the depths of Black Castle crafted a massive battle axe for Tamuk, imbued with powerful dark magic to slice through the toughest mortal armor.
Additionally, the Chaos Dwarfs transformed hundreds of giants in the dark realm, wrapping them in thick armor and arming them with sharp hooks and shovels, creating chaos giants.
After over three months of preparation, in April, the coalition finally approached Black Rock Fort in the Roof of the World Mountains.
The Kurgan expeditionary force now included Chaos Dwarfs. Dra'zhos led thousands of Chaos Dwarfs into the war, accompanied by numerous daemon war machines, steam locomotives, and large-caliber war machines, as well as chaos giants. They formed a green, gray, and black stream through the mountainous terrain, followed by chaos eggs and beastmen.
In the desolate mountains, the Unfaithful Sa'i gazed at the endless peaks of the Roof of the World, contemplating the gains and losses of this expedition.
After a brief excitement, Sa'i's heart filled with anger and resentment.
Was following Tamuk's expedition a worthwhile endeavor?
Initially, yes, or barely so, but after entering the dark realm, Sa'i sensed the army's declining morale, while Tamuk himself was undergoing changes. The ogre leader's body he inhabited, "Crusher," was rapidly decaying, indicating Nurgle's repeated will upon Tamuk. Was this will benevolent or malevolent?
Sa'i believed the answer would soon be revealed.
As Sa'i pondered how to profit from this expedition, Tamuk was also contemplating his predicament.
He sensed the gods' disappointment. As Nurgle's Chosen Champion, Tamuk had spent too much time on the expedition. Even the most patient of the Chaos Gods, Nurgle, was losing faith in his beloved son. Despite his numerous victories, Tamuk had yet to achieve his goal of presenting the city of Ludwig, the southern imperial stronghold of Nuln, to Nurgle.
Nonetheless, Tamuk remained fiercely loyal to Nurgle, repeatedly thinking of ways to please the dark god, lest he lose favor.
Meanwhile, in the northern wastelands and the Kurgan Steppe, a new Chaos Eternal Chosen was rising rapidly. Hundreds of tribes had rallied around this man, planning to achieve something monumental to attract the dark powers' attention and gain the gods' favor.
Who was he?
"Archaon…" Tamuk muttered.
At that moment, the Death's Pass leading to the badlands appeared before Tamuk.
Along with it was a greenskin army. Amidst the deafening Waaagh! cries, the greenskin warlord, Riding on a wyvern, blocked Tamuk's path: "Waaagh! Waaaaaaaagh! Human scum! Black Rock Fort! Does not welcome you! If you come, I will fight, I will kill, I will slaughter!"
The two-and-a-half-meter-tall greenskin warlord, clad in a patchwork dwarf armor, brandished a chipped greatsword and roared at the chaos army: "I think I can win!"
"Gobbo~ Gobbo Gobbo~ Gobbo~"
"Mojo~ Mojo~ Mojo~"
"Waaagh!"
The roars echoed like waves through the greenskin ranks. Below the warlord was a sea of greenskins! Thousands of greenskin boys and archers clustered together, chanting the warlord's name. Squig riders and boar boys ran around the battlefield, swarming in. Outside the green tide were goblins, night goblins, and goblin chariots and wolf riders, boasting their numbers. About half wielded swords, the rest short bows.
The warlord placed his elite big'uns and boar big'uns at the rear, while trolls and giants joined the greenskin ranks, lured by food.
Seven or eight, maybe more, greenskin rock lobbers were ready.
In front of the greenskins, the chaos army prepared for battle. Tamuk shouted: "I am Khan Tamuk, son of the Kurgan Emperor, builder of ruins, king of ten thousand armies, Nurgle's Chosen Champion! Accursed greenskins! Let Nurgle judge you, end you! Your deceitful beast god can never match the great true god!"
Both sides finished their declarations, not understanding each other's corrupted voices.
Negotiations failed.
But it didn't matter because neither side intended to settle through negotiations.
"Children of Nurgle, advance!" Tamuk, riding his toad dragon, raised his chaos-forged battle axe: "Destroy these accursed greenskins!"
"Sa'i, take your men and flank the greenskins." Tamuk commanded: "We'll buy you time."
"No." Sa'i shook his head: "Don't use my men as a stepping stone for your victory, Khan. I'll stay here with my men to fight the greenskins."
Tamuk's ogre face flashed with anger and killing intent, but seeing the approaching greenskins, he tightened his grip on his giant axe: "Then the giants are yours to handle."
"Understood."
Suddenly, giant rocks whistled from the sky, crashing near Tamuk, crushing a chaos egg into a bloody pulp.
The Chaos Dwarfs also readied their cannons after brief adjustments. Dra'zhos signaled the engineers: "Begin!"
Rows of slaves were fed into the Chaos Hellcannon's maw. The demon sealed within greedily devoured their flesh, magic nourishing it. Amidst screams and cries, the Hellcannon belched contentedly.
The next second, the sky turned pink.
Seven or eight pink fireballs rose into the sky, descending upon the greenskin ranks. The Hellcannon's power overwhelmed even the hardy greenskins, blasting seven or eight holes in their tide, filled with melted greenskin boys and goblins.
But the greenskins wouldn't halt for such troubles. Amidst the rising Waaagh cries, the green tide neared the chaos army.
Chaos Dwarf fireblade gunners fired continuously, the flashing lights and booming explosions spewing death. The greenskin boys and goblins in the front ranks fell in droves. The goblins, terrified by the chaos firearms, fled amidst screams.
However, the greenskin boys were tougher, undeterred by the Chaos Dwarfs' weapons. In waves of Waaagh cries, they approached the center of the chaos army!
"Advance! For Nurgle, for Kurgan, for Khan Tamuk!" With Tamuk's roar, the Nurgle warriors and Chaos warriors from Kurgan also charged. The front ranks of chaos warriors, armed with long halberds, met the greenskins in a brutal clash!
Steel clashed with flesh in a vicious melee. On the desolate plains of Death's Pass, the Kurgan chaos warriors displayed their might, pushing back the thousands of greenskin boys with their ferocious assault.
Chaos warriors thrust their halberds into greenskin bodies, blood spraying. The greenskin boys' armor couldn't withstand the Chaos Dwarfs' enhanced weapons, while their crude weapons struggled to harm the heavily armored chaos warriors.
"Waaagh!" A greenskin boy wielding a battle blade and shield approached.
A chaos warrior swung his halberd sideways, knocking the greenskin down, then reversed the weapon to pierce the greenskin's belly. Fetid blood splattered over the chaos warrior. Before he could retrieve his weapon, several greenskins attacked, hacking him to pieces on the spot.
The frontline became a grinder of flesh. Greenskin after greenskin charged, clashing fiercely with Tamuk's army. Warriors from the Kurgan Steppe and the green tide of the badlands battled to determine the true victor!
Only one winner could claim Death's Pass!
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]