A hundred meters into the dark, an age-old ceiling collapse blocked the road. They hefted their bags, left the sentinel squatting in the gloom, and scrambled over the rubble on foot. Beyond, the tunnel sloped gently upward, with dark doorways widely spaced on either wall. Mare carried a glowlamp in one hand; the other rested on Shuck's shoulder. Shuck clutched a las-carbine.

Their footsteps echoed in the silence. Once, they heard movement; small, rapid footsteps, from one of the open passages. They froze, holding their breath, but there was nothing else.

An hour later, there was a distant shriek and thud. Shuck raised his carbine and stared into the shadows, tense and wary.

Mare squeezed his shoulder. "It's okay."

"You know that that was?"

"Mr. Sticks, hurting something."

They stood for a moment in silence. Shuck lowered his gun. "He can do that?"

"When I was small, he would hurt children who were mean to me. I made him stop, though."

"Mare, is Mr. Sticks... stronger, here?"

"I don't know. It's dark."

Shuck glanced sidelong at Mare. The glowlamp cast dark shadows around her eyes. She stared away down the tunnel, face empty of expression. Her pale skin and hair were ghostlike in the yellow light, her dark blue dress faded to black.

She noticed him looking and gave him a nervous smile.

He smiled back. "Come on. We keep heading up, we'll find light eventually."

They stepped forward together, lamp sweeping back the shadows.

***

It had been a great public square, surrounded by the towering High Imperial facades of government buildings and cathedrals, and domed with steel and glass. Now the grand arches and spires were crumbled and weathered, and the dome's rusting girders lay among whipgrass and thin trees.

Shuck and Mare stared out at the green oasis from the mouth of the tunnel, letting their eyes adjust to the afternoon sun. The air was cool and thin, and mountain winds moaned and whispered among the high towers.

They stepped out together, onto the soft grass. Tiny red flowers waved around their feet.

"Seems awfully peaceful for someplace haunted. Guess I'm not the best judge of that, though. Mare?"

"It's quiet now."

They padded toward the center of the courtyard. A silent fountain towered above the twisted trees, its basin filled with rainwater. They drank eagerly from cupped hands.

Shuck sighed contentedly. "It can't always be this nice, or people never would have left. Or at least, they would have come back."

"It's not. We're being allowed... Ahh!"

A huge black bird burst from a nearby tree. Screeching and flapping, it soared up and away across the courtyard, vanishing behind an ancient clock tower.

Shuck lowered his gun. Mare had darted behind him. "Ugly thing... it's gone, Mare. You alright?"

"It's still watching."

HERETICAL TRASH

"Eh, let it. I think I see its nest. Heh, you're not the only one who can find food. Eggs for dinner tonight, Mare!"

Shuck handed Mare his carbine and dropped his pack. He jumped to grab a low branch of the tree, grunted, and pulled himself up.

The bird's nest was wide, ragged, and eggless. Shuck sighed, and poked at the detritus of cast-off feathers and small bones. His eyebrows shot up. From beneath the trash, he caught the gleam of silver, and tiny, shining stones.

"It's the wrong season," Mare called from below.

"What?"

"Eggs in the spring. Then learn to fly on the summer wind. Nothing now."

"Looks like you're right, Mare." Shuck dropped the silver ring into his pocket. "No eggs. I'm coming down."

***

"Shuck? Where are we going?"

"Not exactly sure, Mare. I'll know when we get there."

He led her by the hand through the ruined cathedral. Down the aisle they went, between rows of rotted pews. A towering statue of the Emperor, four stories tall, loomed above the altar. His armor was painted in red and gold by the light of the cracked stained-glass windows. His glare was stern and disapproving.

Shuck looked up at him and frowned. "Not here."

He pulled Mare away from the scowling titan, toward a small stairway in the wall. Up to the balcony, feet pattering through the dust, the windows they ran past depicting shattered scenes of triumph, blood, and martyrdom. Finally they stood side-by-side in the space between the back of the Emperor's head and the Rose Window. From below, the window was a blazing, intricately woven halo of light, radiating from the God-Emperor, casting his face in shadow. But here, it seemed to shine on them alone. Behind them, the statue faced away down the empty halls, sword clasped protectively, ready to turn away any who might harm them.

Mare fell to her knees in the dust, gazing up in awe at the shining window. Shuck sat down heavily beside her.

"Here, I think."

The setting sun blazed in on them, warming them, bathing them in light. They sat together, looking out through colored glass at the quiet, broken city. Climbing vines softened the harsh silhouettes of the empty towers, and the dying sun cloaked the ruins in passing magnificence.

Mare sighed. "It's strange here. Lonely and pretty."

"Strange and beautiful, yeah. Like you. Mare?"

She turned her head toward him, eyes wide. He was on one knee, fumbling in his pocket.

"Ah, got it!" He held a gloved hand out to Mare. Resting on the tea-stained leather of the palm was a silver ring, set with nine tiny gemstones.

"Mare? I, ah, I love you will you be my wife?"

She stared at the ring, then at his face. Her mouth opened and closed. Red and gold light shone in her hair.

"...Okay."

She held out a hand, fingers peeking shyly out of her long sleeve. Shuck pushed back the dark cloth and slid the ring onto her finger.

"Mare?"

"Um."

"Mare, you said you can't read people or be read here in Silver Mountain, right?"

"...Yes."

"So, we should be able to touch each other without... the flashes, right?"

"...Yes."

"Mare, I'm going to kiss you now."

"Oka... Mmph!"

Her lips were soft and hot. She tasted like blueapples and bitter tea.

***

YES.

The window had gone dark, stray stars shining through its colored panes. Below, the two lay together between their blankets. Shuck gasped as Mare nibbled at his neck. The flashes were muted, but each new touch still gave a hazy sense of doubled self, a warm glow from the other's body.

He was exhausted. She had wanted to be touched everywhere, constantly, her smooth skin pressed and moving against him with desperate intensity, her mouth hungry and seeking. She had clung to him like she was drowning, like she'd been drowning all her life and finally reached the air.

Finally, she had calmed, lying on top of him, sharing his warmth. He reached out and stroked her hair with a bare hand. He had wanted to throw the gloves away, off the high balcony, but she had asked to keep them. They were in the corner with her dress and his discarded uniform.

Her breathing slowed in sleep. Shuck lay there, listening to silence, thinking of nothing.

Her head whipped up, staring out the window. Her body was shaking.

"Mare? Mare, what's wrong?"

She crawled to the window, staring at the stars, face terrified.

"I'm sorry. Shuck it's my fault I'm so sorry they're coming."

Shuck pulled on his pants and grabbed his carbine. "Who's coming? How?"

"I'm sorry, I was too loud, even here, it saw me, the giants and the hunter are coming out of the sky, here, now, it's too late, he's watching me right now, he's coming, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." She threw her head back and wailed like a lost child.

Beyond the window, burning lights were coming closer, down out of the sky.

***The Soldier and the Witch 5***

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

>>5984295
NO.

>>5984295

...the Scary Marines.

We're doomed.

>>5984323
YEAH BABY HERITICS AND TRAITORS WILL BURN!

Part 4.

Next time, Part 6: An End

As Shuck called out to Mare, he was unaware of the shadow closing upon their positions.

"Mare, what's wrong?"

She turned to him with fear in her eyes.

"S-something, someone is here!"

This is what all she could stutter before a bolter round pierced through her head, rendering her upper-torso nothing but a mere red mist.

"MAAAAAAAAAAAAARE!?"

Horrified, Shuck fell to ground, barely apprehending what he just witnessed.

As he began to weep, a huge shadow loomed over his back.

"IN THE NAME OF THE EMPEROR I CONDEMN YOUR IMMORTAL SOUL TO THE EVER-CONSUMING FIRES OF THE WARP"

Shuck was left a bloody mess on the ground as his body was decimated from several rounds of bolter fire.

With smoking bolter in hand, Inquisitor Holtz heaved a heavy sigh as he was once again forced to end the life of another soldier who beckoned to the call of Chaos.


***

THE END

>>5984350

WWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTT?????????????????????

>>5984350
feeling like im getting trolled here

>>5984350

Oy there, imposter.

When I bad end, it's a bit worse than just death.

>>5984350

>Chapter 6

not

>The Soldier and the Witch 6

Not legit.

>>5984374
Who said it was a bad end? foul heretics being smited by the righteous fury of the emperor is the best ending possible!

>>5984374
please say its not a bad end because i dont think i would be able to handle that

>>5984350
>>5984374
>>5984388

I AM SPARTACUS

Bad end approaching!

>>5984394
>>5984388
>>5984374
>>5984350
>>5984336
>>5984319
>>5984309
>>5984306

QUICK RATS EAT THEM ALL!

Wow, did anyone save chapter 4's endpic?

Someone screencap this one.

when can we expect part 6? ill have popcorn ready then

>>5984489

>>5984598
Thanks.

Yeah. That was too quick.

>>5984598

Even better.

Don't be retarded, you guys.

Of COURSE it's going to be a bad end. Shuck's probably going to have to do the dirty work, too.

>>5984598
>>5984708

I AM ERECT

>>5984717
Alternatively, this could be the Good End that makes all of the Bad Ends so much worse.

You can't have absolute despair if nobody has any reason to hope in the first place, after all.

>>5984717
say it aint so

>>5984295
These are one of three things:
SPESS MEHRENS. This is bad.
Gray Knights. This is worse.
CHAOS SPESS MEHRENS. This is NIGGA U GUN DIE.

>>5984717
Maybe not. Remember where they are holed up. In a temple to the emperor. If she were to say that she had accepted the emperor and was willing to go be sanctioned then said inquisitor might spare her life. More than likely even take her in and retrain her as a part of his personal retinue. The fact that Shuck converted her to the emperor might also earn him a place there too.
All depends how fast they can talk.

>>5984772
well would marines come barging in bloters blazing in a temple to the emprah? if not they probably will get a chance to speak

>>5984772
That's unlikely because she probably gave an Inquisitorial psyker a hard-on from how loud she was broadcasting.

Being a sanctioned psyker is arguably a fate worse than death. Psykers are hanging on by their fingertips to sanity to begin with - being tortured, indoctrinated, and BROUGHT BEFORE THE EMPEROR HIMSELF tend to drive you right over.

>>5984793
They'd be even quicker to fire with a witch and a traitorous deserter desecrating a temple to the God-Emperor.

>>5984794
so mare is fucked
shuck probably is gona get blammed for not being with his unit and STEALING imperial equipment

This thread contains fucking epic amounts of d'aaaw.

As a writer, I am pleased.

And the art is just freaking cute.

>>5984823
Mare's more likely to make it out than Shuck. She's just an ignorant witch, after all - food for the Emperor if nothing else. Shuck is a deserter consorting with a witch. He's going to get a firing squad if he's LUCKY.

>>5984460
OH SHI- the ratcatchers back. Rat on a stick anyone?

>>5984350
Oh, well played, sir.

>>5984811
and risk damaging a temple to their god? if anything their going to be coming in with chainswords

Screencap of Part 5 on the way I hope?

>>5984717
>>5984460
>>5984438
>>5984388
>>5984350
>>5984329

Shut it.

>>5984877
Space Marines don't revere EMPRAH as a god, just as a really bad dude.

They'll be no less dead if the marines resort to chainswords. Mare can't use her powers and Shuck is literally worthless against marine power armor.

>>5984911
so pretty much, unless the emprah himself drops in there and tells the marines to cut that shit out. mare and shuck are screwed

>>5984935
Yes.

Or unless the daemon following Mare around intervenes, and assuming you're dealing with muckity-muck MEHRENS and not Grey Knights.

>>5984545

Part 6 around midnight EST Monday, if all goes just as planned.

>>5984962
*writes down on calendar
I'll be there!

>set with nine tiny gemstones
>nine tiny gemstones
>nine tiny
>nine
9 is the number representing tzeentch and is a symbol of misfortune to psychers...
OH SHIT...

>>5984978
Found in the nest of a watchful bird.

Oh, little psyker, let's make a deal...

>>5984990
>>5984978

>>5984990
FUCK
Mr.Sticks...the number 9...the bird...BLUE APPLES...this is all some plan belonging to tzeentch to make all the apples in the imperium BLUE. Thus somehow increasing his power.

>>5984978
>>5984990
OH SHI

>>5985012
How does god know what apples is

>>5984350

FUCK YES.

>>5985012

OH FU... wait, what?

>>5984836

I took a look at my "Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer." The penalty for "Corresponding with or Relieving the Enemy" is death by starvation. Simple desertion is "Excecuted in any manner necessary". And that dig at the Emperor's statue sounded a lot like Heresy to me, which calls for "...extremeties removed and left to bleed to death, for the Emperor's pleasure. The remains shall then be burned to ensure no taint remains." Of course if the Commissar doesn't feel like waiting he might just offer a quick bolt to the brain. We shall see.

>>5984495
Just a moment. Working on it.

>>5984951

>Or unless the daemon following Mare around intervenes

>daemon

>DAEMON

All you guys talking about how fucked they are?

Yeah, shush.

>>5985082
If you honestly think a DAEMON FOLLOWING YOU AROUND could POSSIBLY be good EVER, then you're seriously mistaken.

>>5985103
You think the Inquisition would let anyone know that there were instances of good Daemons? Suck on that one for a while.

>>5985129
I know you want a good end real bad, anon, and I'm sure someone's going to interject with "BUT TZEENTCH MEANS HOPE, TOO!", but the simple fact is that those that traffick with demons become their slaves or their lunch.

>>5985129

Well gee now we're entering into a debate on whether or not Chaos is always unarguably evil.

>>5984990
Tzeentch is about to surpass the dick level of Eldrad.

>>5985040
I'm pretty sure she just does.

>>5985159
Chaos isn't evil so much as it's totally self-absorbed.

Well, daemons are from the warp, and the warp is strongly affected by emotions. Wouldn't it be possible for certain "good" emotions to occasionally coalesce into a "good" daemon?

>>5985192
You made me wretch.

>>5985103

>If you honestly think a DAEMON FOLLOWING YOU AROUND could POSSIBLY be good EVER, then you're seriously mistaken.

Remember what universe we're in, here. Even at the best of times you're between a massive towering mountain of pain and ANOTHER massive towering mountain of pain. The trick is to play one against the other and hide behind something that looks thick enough to repel heavy weapons fire.

Come to think of it, that describes most D20 Modern games I've been in.

>>5985192
Negative emotions are generally stronger and in greater number, but...

>>5985192
have you seen the state of the 40k universe? theres not to much happy or joy to go around so even if some "good" demon is formed in the warp its gona get om nom nom nomd pretty dam quick by the countless other bad demons

>>5985192
No, because they're emotions unchecked. The Chaos Gods already have most stereotypically "good" emotions covered. Nurgle is love. Tzeentch is hope. Khorne is honor. Slaanesh is hot dickings.

>>5985179

That is a pretty picture @__@

>>5985215
Until that time comes, looks like Shuck and Mare are under it's protective care.

Here!

Do you want a picture pack, too?

>>5985260
oh anon, your too good to me

>>5985236
At least LCB tried to make sense.

>>5985260
YES PLEASE!

>>5985273

I'm betting on Tzeentch dickery.

>>5985273
Dude.

LOW BLOW.

>>5985286
moeh

>She had wanted to be touched everywhere, constantly, her smooth skin pressed and moving against him with desperate intensity, her mouth hungry and seeking.

Slut detected

>>5985404
When you can't touch non-psykers, you don't exactly get laid often.

>>5985404

>Slut detected

You express this truth as if you find it to be a disagreeable facet of her personality.

>>5985404
Of course, I created her after all!

>>5985451

MACHA ASS

Could I request a repost of the old pictures with this thread? I don't have them. I'd like to.

>>5985451
A witch, a heretic, and a xenos.

That's TRIPLE heresy, Jo. You ought to be ashamed!

>>5985495

>A WITCH, A HERETIC, AND A XENOS

>THAT TRIPLE HERESEY, JO. YOU AWESOME

FIXED!

>>5985404
Oh no! A woman with a sex drive!

>>5985495
Piss off, Fuklaw.

>>5985465

>>5985404
or she is a very passionate lovemaker?

>>5985495
Yeah, piss off, me.

Er..

>>5985520
Come back when you can get in fist fight with an 11-year-old human girl and win, Tau.

>>5985517

Wait.

HOLD IT!

Women can enjoy sex?!

>>5985465

This one's my favorite.

>>5985495
You know what you need Fuklaw?

A hug.

>>5985538
Hello there!

>>5985540
Heh, take your pick. I'm sure there's a couple in this pile.

>>5985604
Posing on a bunch of skulls some Khorne worshippers left before being killed to a man by the Emperor's Finest won't deceive me, xenos scum.

Man I hope this turns out to be some epic Twilight Zone , stuff like the witch was mind controlling him or something.

>>5985531
>>5985578

>>5985596
HUGS are HERESY.

Well, not really, but when they come from a TRIPLE HERETIC they make me feel funny and bad!

>>5985596
Hey.

>>5985612
Same to you, human. At least I don't decorate my weapons and armor with them like a bunch of poofs.

>>5985622

OHOHOHOH ARE YOU IN FOR IT NOW!

>>5985636

>>5985641

>>5985638
Commissar Yiffy

>>5985650

>>5985651

Thankyou for the common sense, namefag. <3

You use a lot of pressure-sensitive stylus strokes, Jo? I thought your work was vectors, when I first saw it.

>>5985656

Jo, if you'd be so kind, would you mind posting the pics from Part 3 since it wasn't archived?

>>5985604
I wanna play Firewarrior someday.

I like Tau but I agree with whoever says they don't fit 40k.

>>5985656

Comrade, any chance of that screencap getting up here before the dreaded 404?

>>5985669

Ohwait, fuckwit anon is a fuckwit. Found it. ;_;

>>5985641
Re-posting what really happened.

>>5985667

>>5985693

AH! Excellent! I am not too late.

>>5985695
raindrop is too close to the center of the camera,

>>5985713
I was WONDERING when you'd show up, Collector!

see >>5984962

>>5985713

Ah-HA! I've been looking for you, sir. You don't keep a site, do you, by any chance?

>>5984388

Your post sums up everything I hate about WH40K players. It's like you were born to troll and can't help yourselves.

>>5985713

Jo and Leibowitz confirmed as lead artist and writer for next DoW II expansion: hugs of the necrons

I'm missing one picture. Thread 3, third picture. It has snow and stuff.

it's psychic mumbo-jumbo

>>5985845

Witchlights!

test

With the conclusion of the h-scene just prior to the heartbreaking separation of lovers, The Soldier and the Witch is now qualified to be a fully-fledged route in a 40k eroge VN.

>>5985732
I just got back from work. I work the closing shift.
>>5985743
No, but this weekend I was going to put an updated version of my 40K stuff onto Megaupload. I'd do it now but I have class in the morning.
>>5984962
So that will be... 9 my time. DAMN! I work on Monday, and I don't get home until just after 11:30 local.

>>5985889
I will call it D'aaaaaaw of War

>>5985889
No. Shuck and Mare will be together.

>>5985898
we'll try to keep it up as long as this one was for you.

>>5985902

At best, SPESS MERHINES come FUCK YEAHing in, then something, most likely a demon (most likely mister sticks), intervenes to protect the lovers as its first act of some newly formed contract with Mare, which turns out to be grimanddark anyway.

Worst case scenario, the SPESS MERHINES BRING THE EMPRAH'S HOLY LIGHT TO TEH HERETIC.

It's 40k, there's just not many ways you could go with it at this point.

>>5985902

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DeathBySex

They boned.

They're boned.

>>5985921
Well I can get the Thread Screancap from Leibowitz's DA, but its the individual pictures I'm worried about.

>>5985939

FUCK YOU I ALREADY HAVE FIVE NEW TABS I HATE YOU SO FUCKING MUCH

I must say though if the raven, the number 9, and the blue apples were all suddle hints pointing to Tzeentch I must say they where very well done and if they weren't intentional...maybe Jon himself is under the control of Tzeentch...

>>5985957
If I'm there at the next thread, I'll save them all and repost them for you. I save all the pics anyway.

>>5985939
>they boned
fix'd

>>5985935
It's also not GW writing. There is always hope for a good end. Just as long as Shuck and Mare end up being together.

>>5985985

In the warp.

>>5985957

People had them for this one. There is gonna only be, like, three or four new pics. That should be easy enough to hunt down. I'll want them, too, so I'm keeping an eye out, too.

>>5985990
Or, ya know, in the same plane they are now. They could always find some secluded place out in the woods. Shuck could build them a small cottage, and they'd have kids. And their kids would have kids, and so on and so on. And many years from now, Shuck and Mare will be sitting on the porch of their cottage, wrapped together in a blanket as they stare at one last sunset - their offspring spreading the tale of the Soldier and the Witch across the Imperium, and how they found peace and happiness in the midst of war.

>>5985991
I hope so. The Soldier and the Witch is new...ish. I want the complete set when I re-upload my whole collection.

>>5986019
And then it turns out that their cottage is the one from Straight Silver.

>>5985889

Wasn't someone making one? I recall thinking it sounded like an impressively terrible idea.

>>5986125
There's Be My Chosen.

It's not very far along, but shit man, we're working on it.

>>5986031

We're on chapter 5 out of 6. Unless this goes Fuklaw on us and explodes Love Can Bloom style, we should be fine, here.

>>5986250
>>5986242
Link to it?

What happened with Love Can Bloom?

>>5986267
http://bemychosen.freeforums.org/

>>5986250

Didn't it get all huge and stuff? Hell, I know of video gamers who know nothing of 40k but what they know from playing Dawn of War who know Love Can Bloom.

>>5985451
I like sluts. *nod*

>>5986337
Nice art and a fanfic to go along with it can go a long way.

>>5985889
We just need that h-scene. Also, nautilus.

Actually I think the best possible case is that the Marines are just there to check out the shrine to the E-man and our protagonists manage to hide from them.

You know. Best POSSIBLE case.