Spider hunting was a dangerous process. In the parts of the forest where the canopy was thickest, where Hysh’s light struggled to reach the forest floor and massive webs bridged the boughs and swirled along the sides of cavernous warrens, the bravest of the skinks would act as bait. Teams of these bold hunters would work to lure the ambush predators from their hiding places before leading them toward the waiting hunting party, ready to spring an ambush of their own. Some skinks were killed before they could react, snapped up by their predatory prey. Other saurus and skinks were killed by the raging, spiteful assault of the cornered beasts. Despite these losses, the dozens of carcasses attested to the effectiveness of this strategy, bristling with javelins and lances, or savagely bludgeoned by heavy clubs.
The Oldblood watched as the warband’s skinks deftly rendered the young arachnaroks. Dextrous hands cracked the exoskeleton with clubs before carving through flesh with celestite knives, harvesting fangs and venom glands. Each of the spiders was the size of a cold one, utterly dwarfing the reptilian hunters laying claim to their parts; such is the size of their kind that despite being even larger than the Oldblood, Chatla-Raktoa knew they must be mere spiderlings. Ulgu now cast its shadow upon the jungle, and the work was carried out by the strong eyesight of skink hunters, torchlight, or blazing starlight cast from the starpriests’ staves.
This peace after the hunt was shattered as the ground quaked violently, throwing warriors from their feet. Skinks shouted to one another and saurus hissed and growled, desperate to find purchase. Chatla-Raktoa steadied themself against an enormous tree, while Nax, their faithful Sunblood, dug the prongs of his massive stone shield into the ground for support. Only the warband’s young stegadon, laden with supplies, stood in absolute majesty; silent and unshakable even by the convulsions of Rondhol itself.
Rocks fell as caverns collapsed, claiming unfortunate skinks and saurus within the tunnels, and an enormous crevasse rent the ground itself asunder, revealing enormous chasms through the forest’s floor and swallowing trees and warriors alike. Just as soon as this chaos had begun, however, it stopped; the Dell settled, and the warriors of the Blazing Starfall collected themselves and their equipment, loading what fresh harvest of spider-flesh and venom they could salvage into the pouches lashed to the stegadon.
Aftershocks were the least of the Oldblood’s concerns as a hazy red light filtered through the canopy, bathing the warband in a crimson glow. A scent fell upon the Blazing Starfall, carried on the wind, seeping through the canopy. A profane scent; violating.
A smell of brass. Of violence and gore. The smell of the enemy.
Chatla-Raktoa had found evidence of chaos worship in this valley, but it was ancient and untouched. Whatever opened invited this corruption into the Dell had to have been a newcomer. One foolish or brazen enough to unleash the denizens of Khorne’s domain.
They knew it could be a ploy to distract or destroy their cousins in the Xarlanth. Surely, even now, their fellow Seraphon moved on the gate, battling its invaders. It would be a bloodbath. Even if they had not left their warbeasts, not to mention the brunt of their forces, outside the Dell it would be a costly battle for the Starfall to fight.
Chatla-Raktoa knew these things. Chatla-Raktoa decided they did not care.
The search for the Xarlanth itself was forgotten. Any sort of impartiality was gone from the Oldblood’s mind, their cold-blooded logic overcome by ancient fury. The Claws of Huanchi’s ancient nemesis had come to the Dell. The Seraphon of the Xarlanth doubtless moved to seal this rift. They would need aid, and the forces of the Blood God needed to be banished. Nothing else mattered.
Chatla-Raktoa hissed the order to their subordinates: they would march on the gate. Atzi-Aksu would take a small party of skinks and bring the rest of the Starfall’s warriors into the Dell, and the two forces would aid the Xarlanth’s warriors against the Khornate daemons pouring into the valley.
They could have the Xarlanth’s warriors lead them to the ship, but only once this was done.
