The Cost of Mercy

Araphel struggled to his feet as the child began to scream. It was not a human scream. He didn’t need a librarian to tell him that things had gone horribly wrong.

This was supposed to be a straightforward Compliance. One of thousands of worlds who had believed that their time to overthrow the Imperium’s rightful rule had come. It had been six months since the Conclave. This was the fourth rebellion he had put down.

It was also turning into one of the most brutal. Araphel climbed to his feet, hating the mixture of hope and hatred on the false king's face.

The build up of energy warned Araphel what was coming next. Cursing the false king, Araphel sprang forward and killed the child witch before she could explode with raw Warp energy. The Colossus roared as the child died and lunged at the cruel king. [[Category:C]]