Tli-Ax, Servant of Chaos - Part 1

TheWattman#7460

The following is a piece of fan-lore written by me, inspired by a previous thread Create your own ll. Hope you enjoy and tell me what you think!

Tli-Ax was not the name of the Saurus which would come to be called so, not by the time of his spawning anyway. At that time, he was but one of many stout warrirors who emerged together from one of the spawning pools of the temple-city of Pahuax. Yet despite this fact, the one to be called Tli-Ax proved himself with distinction in fighting the enemies of the Slann until he had risen to the rank of Spawn Leader. He and his regiment was in fact charged with the protection of Pocaxalan, Slann Mage-Priest Lord of Pahuax, himself, along with the Temple Guard. A task which he undertook stoicly and adamently, as any Saurus would.

Then one day, the Great Catastrophe struck the world. Chaos flooded the mortal plane and besieged the great Lizardmen Empire. One by one, although by no means without fierce struggle, the temple-cities began to fall. This blight eventually reached Pahaux as well in the form of a horde led by Greater Daemons. Initially Lord Pocaxalan sent out bands of Chameleon Skink skirmishers, led by Oxyotl, to bleed the Daemons as they pushed through the jungle. However, they failed to halt the tide, barely making it back themselves before the Daemons were upon Pahuax. As leaders of fellow regiments of the city, Oxyotl and the Spawn Leader had a passing aquaintance. Now however, it was the Saurus's turn to fight. Onwards came all manner of twisted abominations, but so also did the Saurus stand to fight them. Ranks of Bloodletters were halted by uncompromising Obsinite clubs and a rank of Seekers were skewered upon firm and stout spears. Even in the face of disgusting Plaguebearers or under the searing heat of Tzeentchian flamers, the Lizardmen fought on. But they could not do so indefinetly. One by one, the Spawn Leader's kin fell in defense of Pahaux and slowly, their dwindling ranks were pushed back towards the pyramid temples. Though as stoic and resolute as Saurus typically are, their leader could not help but feel the loss of those who died around him. Loss and a growing anger.

With his city's defense crumbling, Lord Pocaxalan decided to enact a desperate final plan to prevent disaster, summoning a giant blast of fire to eradicate the entire horde. To do this, he needed time to gather enough magical force. So on the very steps of the central pyramid of his city, Lord Pocaxalan rallied his remaining warriors and sent in his Temple Guard, as well as what remained of Oxyotl's Chameleons, to aid the Spawn Leader's fading ranks of Saurus Warriors. The Leader, now largely without his spawn, still kept fighting fiercly, fueled by the rage of loss and determination to protect his Slann. Alas however, it would all come undone. The Winds of Magic crackled, twisted and finally snapped. Lord Pocaxalan was decieved by the Dark Gods, tricked into grasping for more magic than he really had the ability to control. What was reality was undone in an instant, ripped asunder by magical forces beyond understanding and Pahuax and all of its remaining inhabitants were doomed as they were cast into the Realms of Chaos. The Spawn Leader was among these cursed survivors.

In the nightmare that was the Realms of Chaos, three familiar beings found themselves near one another: The Spawn Leader, Oxyotl and Lord Pocaxalan. Of these, the Saurus Leader was the first to awaken, finding himself in the middle of the land of the apocalypse. He looked around and then saw a familiar silhouette in the distance, recnognizing it as the broken remains of the Lord of Pahuax's palanquin throne and further, the mass of Lord Pocaxalan's imobile body pressed against the ground. For this to happen on the field of battle signaled only the greatest of dangers and so triggered once again the fierce fighting spirit of the battered Saurus. And yet as he approached with haste, foul lesser Daemons gathered by his fallen master's body, seeking to violate a sacred creation of the Old Ones.

The Spawn Leader let out a violent roar and charged, as did some of the Daemons ahead of him. The Saurus fought with possessed ferocity hoping to save his master, but as he slew Daemon after Daemon, more appeared all around him, preventing him from reaching Lord Pocaxalan. Sadly, his master had already begun to be devoured by some Daemons that were not engaging the Saurus. As the Spawn Leader threw a Bloodletter to the ground, ripping its head asunder with one of his clawed feet, he looked up and noticed a peculiar thing. His Chameleon aquaintance, Oxyotl had arrived to this place, wherever it was, as well and had just stood up. Then a swarm of Nurglings came upon the Spawn Leader, disorienting him. By the time he smashed the last of them, he turned again to where he saw Oxyotl, only to witness him scurrying away from the site and camoflaging himself. Now a Saurus's mind may be relatively simple, but cowardice is a concept it understands.

This was the beginning of the end for the Saurus that was the Spawn Leader. At that moment of apparent betrayal on Oxyotl's part, a seed of hatred was planted in the eyes of the Saurus. Though he would have no time to ponder on it, as he was struck in the side by a Fiend of Slaanesh. Though staggered, he killed it moments later. But now, his strength was beginning to fade, as the corrupting influences of the Chaos Realms were eating away at him and the mind-influence of the Lord Pocaxalan was diminishing. Still, he fought on with increasing desperation to reach his dead master. So much so that he roared out calls for help to the Old Ones, but none of them answered. Not Sotek the Serpent, not the mighty Itzl or the brilliant Chotek. Even the warlike Quetzl refused, or was unable, to hear his cry. Something else however, one of the architects of this calamity, did. Even as the cataclysm of the Great Catastrophe was unfolding across the mortal plane, one of the Dark Gods took notice of the Spawn Leader's plight. But the Blood God and the Dark Prince were busy reveling in slaughter and sensational carnage, as was the Plague Lord ever concocting new and more terrible blights. It was instead the attention of the Changer of Ways that was peaked, roused by the great magical disaster that brought about the fate of Pahuax. The Raven watched as the lone Spawn Leader fought and then cried futily for help. Recognizing a great oppertunity brewing, Tzeentch stepped in.

The Spawn Leader still fought all manners of Daemonkind, but it was a battle he could never win alone. But then came a voice, shaking the air as it reverberated through. CEASE it yelled and suddenly all the Daemons around the Spawn Leader halted their assault. The Spawn Leader reoriented himself and hissed threateningly at those around him. Then the voice came again; HOLD HIM! Instincitvely, the Spawn Leader jumped chargeingly to kill another Bloodletter, but was struck from the side mid-jump and then pinned to the ground by two Spawns of Tzeentch. Then the voice bellowed; THIS ONE BELONGS TO THE CHANGER, LEAVE! Those Daemons belonging to Khorne, Nurgle and Slaanesh promptly retreated from the area. The Spawn Leader tried to find the strength to escape the grasp of the Spawn, but weakened as he was by now, he could not. Then came the sound of great footsteps, approaching from behind him, coming around. The Spawn Leader turned his head. Sent by the Raven God, he met eyes with the towering Lord of Change Tzara'riador the Shimmering, who's wings were clad in radiating feathers in a constant state of changing in pattern and colour. This created a hypnotizing image which put the Saurus into a more mellow, trance-like mindset, even though at the core he was still fighting to resist it.

- LITTLE SPAWN OF THE OLD ONES, WELCOME TO THE AETHYR spoke Tzara'riador. YOUR ARRIVAL WAS FORESEEN AND INDEED THE PURPOSE FOR IT IS A GREAT ONE. AMONG YOUR KIND, LORD TZEENTCH HAVE TAKEN NOTICE OF YOU AND THE DEDICATION OF YOUR BATTLING. YES, WE FORSAW THIS DAY AS THE DAY YOU WOULD COME HERE TO BE ENVELOPED INTO HIS SERVICE.

The Spawn Leader struggled to get any words out through the trance. Gar Zec Xlanax, Qu Tlax! (Attack Intruder Daemon, Defend City)

- OH NO LITTLE SPAWN, THIS IS NOT YOUR FATE, TO DEFEND THOSE WHO BETRAYED YOU Tzara'riador replied. FOR THEM AWAITS ONLY DESTRUCTION.

Tzara'riador's wings shine up in a solid nigh-blinding light and the Spawn Leader's mind was penetrated by the Lord of Change, forcing the Saurus to see what he was commanded to. SEE THOSE WHO BETRAYED YOU Tzara'riador spoke telepathically, as the Saurus was thrown into an induced vision. He was shown how Oxyotl had failed to halt the Daemontide outside Pahuax, how he and his Chameleons cowardly retreated behind the safety of the city. He was shown how Lord Pocaxalan in an uncharacteristic show of arrogance reached for more magic than he could control. And only recently, how again Oxyotl had retreated in disgraceful cowardice, even as their master was under attack. NOW, SEE THE RESULTS OF THEIR ACTIONS, as Tzara'riador showed the Saurus ranks upon ranks of his kin dead where he had recently fought and the city of Pahuax in smoldering ruin.

- INCOMPETENTS INVTITED DEATH TO YOUR CITY, LITTLE SPAWN. FOOLISH LEADERS DOOMED IT. AND THOSE WHO YOU CALLED ALLIES ABANDONED YOU IN YOUR TIME OF NEED. EVEN YOUR GODS HAVE IGNORED YOUR PLEA.

The Lord of Change terminated the mind connection and ordered the Saurus released. But the being now lying there was not quite the same as the one who had been captured some moments ago. His eyes were glowing bright as his mind and body were starting to change. The seed of hatred for Oxyotl increased severalfold as the whims of Tzeentch clouded his mind and corruption took root in his body. He grew to almost twice his previous size, his scales hardened even further and shifted to a darker hue, while his dorsal spines grew longer. Whatever golden ornaments he was still wearing snapped off, replaced by chilling markings of the Changer of Ways. On each side, his eyes split and formed two new ones. Tzeentch had achieved one of his most prominent desires for the creature that previously was the Spawn Leader: evolution. What slowly now rose to its own two feet was something new, a terrifying Saurus Warblood, mightier than any previous spawning.

- DECLARE YOURSELF Tzara'riador exclaimed.

The Warblood let out an earth-shattering roar up into the chaotic aethyr, spewing out a huge plume of Tzeentchian Blue Fire.

- Tli-Ax (Servant Chaos) the reborn Saurus then spoke. Ataxa Zec, Xa Kha. Chaq Oxy, Qua Loq. Hua, Qu'itt Ax! (Curse Foe, Vengence Justified. Hate Oxy, Fate Death. Hunt, Gift Chaos!).

TO BE CONTINUED...