Siphon the Gunk for Old Ruin 2025-10-04 #4

Converging on the gunge depot, the witch Grucius Flay paused, his eyes glazing over as his familiar chittered and jibbered madly. "What is it, wretch?" barked Arrakosh cruelly, grabbing the mad old freak by the scruff of his coat. He dealt Grucius a hefty slap. "Is it the serpents?" he asked, shaking him. "Do they whisper more secrets?" Before Flay could answer, two immense explosions detonated among the cultists, blowing one of their number sky high. As the survivors of the ambush scrambled for cover, jeers were called from the other side of the depot, followed moments later by volleys of autogun fire, shotgun salvoes and, most terrifyingly, the boom, shriek and crump of bolter fire.

The ensuing skirmish was intense and brutal, with neither side giving pause to regroup. One by one, gangers were blown away, laid low by bullets, ignited by incendiary charges or vapourised by hissing blasts of melta fire. Those not killed, fled the field, until only two remained. 

"THE CULT WILL ASCEND," screamed Rondo Bibz as he emptied another clip from his bolthole beneath the stilts of a raised outpost. Possessed by the desire to prove himself to his dark master, Bibz vaulted over his spars and supports to engage the lone remaining Sump Runner, who decided enough was enough, and bolted.

---------LATER, BACK AT THE FANE-----------

"Hey! Did anyone see that guy we captured at the Gunk depot?"

"Errr, why?"

 "We need a focus for the ritual and none of the boys want to volunteer after last time."

 "Oh, well....erm, he's not here any more."

 "What do you mean he's not here. Did he escape?"

Callahoon "Tiddles" Wallop looks sheepish.

"Tiddles! What did you do with him?"

"Nothing bad. I promise. I'm sure's OK wherever he is now."

 "I don't care whether he's surfing sumpscum or sipping wine with Lord Helmawr. What did you do with him?"

"I...I...sold him to the slavers. I thought that was what I was supposed to do..."

"Oh, did we get paid?"

"Yeah!" Tiddles hands over the creds. "Here."

 Arrakosh shrugs. "Could be worse I suppose."

Tiddles looks visibly relieved.

"Not so fast," says Arrakosh with a smirk. "You've just volunteered."

Tiddles blanches.

"Get in the circle."