Editing The 13th Black Crusade (section)

===Shifting Tides===

Orven Highfell finally fell snarling, with his gauntlets around a [[Bloodthirster]]'s throat. The Wulfen avenged him, but they too were dropping from their wounds, an untold trail of dead traitors their final contribution to the battle. Meanwhile Creed would not despair, and the Cadian 8th followed suit, their example spreading to the Vostroyans and Kappic Eagles.

All the while the duel between Abaddon and Celestine continued, but it was an uneven match, as the Despoiler was more than a match against the Living Saint and her bodyguard even without his Chaos superpowers. Hemmed in by the Black Guard, and pressed by Drach'nyen, Celestine was brought to her knees.

Creed saw immediately that if the Living Saint was killed, that was it. He ordered the Cadian 8th forward to reach Celestine, even as Abaddon got in a painful knick on the Living Saint's side. Despite the pain, Celestine did not waver, but as the Despoiler reared for a killing blow, he froze; ''someone'' hit him with a surprise Greater Malison.

That someone in this case was Inquisitor Greyfax, using what dregs of warp power she could channel through her [[RAGE]]. She thought about her talk with Trazyn, and hated to admit that the Necron was right; she needed to get her priorities straight. Whatever issues she had with Celestine, those could wait until AFTER Abaddon was dealt with.

Blinded and angrier than usual, the Despoiler shook off Greyfax's malediction, but the inquisitor followed this up with a shots from her boltgun, though the latter did squat thanks to Abaddon's terminator armor. All the while the men and women of the Cadian 8th formed a wall of bayonets around the Living Saint. Abaddon cut these guardsmen down by the score, but every moment they bought for Celestine was worth their lives and more.